Politicians get between FarmTech and MOE

OSHAWA -- The tension between Oshawa council and the proponent hoping to build an ethanol plant at the city's waterfront, went up a notch this week.

On Tuesday night, council took a swipe at FarmTech Energy Inc. by voting to ask Environment Minister John Gerretsen to either deny the company's recent application for a certificate of approval or direct ministry staff not to process the application until council votes later this fall on whether to allow a re-zoning for the plant to be built.

"When (FarmTech) applied to the City, they said they would meet all the provincial limits, then in the middle of August when everyone's away, they apply for exemption to those limits," Councillor Brian Nicholson said. "It doesn't make sense for the City to spend months studying this, if senior levels of government are going to make decision before we even get to comment."

Council voted 7-1 on the motion, which also asks that if the plant is approved, the City and others will have the opportunity to submit comments on the certificate of approval application. It says that, going forward, the Ministry will consider not processing applications for projects which are not currently permitted by zoning bylaws or eligible for building permits.

Councillor Robert Lutczyk, the lone councillor to oppose the move, called it "anti-business."

"It's common practice in application where several levels of government are involved, to undertake all the requirements concurrently, not consecutively," he said. "Otherwise it could take 25 years to get things off the ground."

David Hunter, a consultant with J.L. Richards Associates Ltd. and the project manager for the FarmTech proposal, echoed Coun. Lutczyk's comments.

He said the decision to file the certificate of approval application before council's vote was intended to save time and money.

"We were told the certificate of approval process could take a few months, so we decided to do it concurrently with the zoning application to the City so we wouldn't be months behind if the City gives its approval," he said. "This doesn't mean the municipality has to approve anything, it's just to make sure we're ready if they do."

A certificate of approval is a permit that lays out enforceable requirements to protect the environment and human health. FarmTech's application says the proposed ethanol plant could emit "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," into the air.