Aug 20, 2008 - 08:43 AM

By Jillian Follert

OSHAWA -- As council prepares to vote this fall on whether to allow an ethanol plant at the waterfront, the company behind the proposal is getting its ducks in a row.

On Aug. 11, Farmtech Energy Corporation applied to the Ministry of the Environment for a certificate of approval -- a permit that lays out enforceable requirements to protect the environment and human health.

The public has a standard 30-day window to comment on the application, but some members of council are up in arms this week, saying no one was aware anything had been filed.

Councillor Brian Nicholson, who represents Ward 1 where the proposed plant would be built, has been following this issue closely and said he wasn't aware of the application until someone pointed it out to him four days after it was filed.

He issued a media release Aug. 15, but said it shouldn't be his responsibility to get the word out.

"Why is it up to me, as a councillor, to be releasing information about this?" he said. "Why isn't Farmtech or the Ministry making people aware of this? This is supposed to be an open public process but it seems like there is a concerted attempt to keep this under the radar and manage public reaction."

Information about the application can be found online on the Province's environmental registry, at www.ebr.gov.on.ca under registry number 010-4338.

The registry lists "particulate matter, products of combustion such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds such as acetaldehyde, acrolein and benzene, odour and noise" as possible emissions from the Farmtech plant.

But Farmtech president Dan O'Connor said there is no cause for concern, stressing any emissions would be monitored by the Province.

"All new industry must meet stringent requirements for emissions as set out in the certificate of approval by Ontario's Ministry of Environment," he said by e-mail. "Farmtech will operate well within legal limits for emissions as set out by the Province of Ontario."

If that's the case, Oshawa Mayor John Gray said the company should have no qualms about open, public debate.

Like Coun. Nicholson, he is concerned there was no attempt to advertise the opportunity for public comment on Farmtech's recent application.

"If this is just going to appear on this one website, only the absolute keeners are going to see it and get to comment," the mayor said. "What about everyone else? For a company that claims it does everything above board, this seems like a sneaky way of doing things."

MOE spokeswoman Kate Jordan said Farmtech did some public consultation prior to filing the recent application, noting the company sent a letter about the project to potential stakeholders in January and set up an information table at the Oshawa Centre in February.

However, she said, Farmtech is not specifically required to advertise that it has applied for a certificate of approval -- although the company could go that route.

"This is a proponent-driven process," Ms. Jordan said, adding there is also no onus on MOE to notify the public about the process. "It's up to the proponent to notify stakeholders and the public and decide how they're going to do that."

As of Aug. 19, MOE had received 58 comments about Farmtech's application.

Farmtech officials did not respond to questions from This Week about why the company chose not to advertise this opportunity for public comment.

Comments on the Farmtech application can be submitted by mail or online until Sept. 10, using the contact information listed below.

By Mail:

Application Processor

Client Services Section

Ministry of the Environment, Operations Division

Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch

2 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 12A

Toronto, Ontario M4V 1L5

Online:

www.ebr.gov.on.ca

Registry number: 010-4338