The Woolwich Bio-En biogas proposal could cost lives.
That’s the assertion of Elmira resident Mike Hicknell, who made a brief presentation at Woolwich council on Aug. 10, showing how increased truck traffic to the downtown core could put the community at risk.
Using a series of overheads, Hicknell pointed out that there are numerous roads that intersect with Church Street and Arthur Street, streets that he believes will have to accommodate the bulk of the truck traffic generated by the biogas facility.
Hicknell noted that the Bio-En proposal suggests that there could be anywhere from 30 trucks to 80 trucks per day, depending on the type of material that will be processed at the facility.
He said he doesn’t dispute the numbers, but he doubts that the same trucks will be used to transport the waste to the facility that will be used to transport the fertilizer product that would be created at the waste-processing plant.
“I don’t think they’ll be transporting digestate in those same trucks,” said Hicknell. “So you’ll be doubling the number (of trucks).”
Hicknell said given the potential for new development in the downtown area, including a seniors apartment building, the proposed Lunor subdivision, and other vacant properties such as the Steddick Hotel, there is potential for even more traffic to be going through the core.
Considering two recent accidents that claimed lives, Hicknell said any additional truck traffic could pose significant risk to the community.
“I hope you take my concerns into consideration,” said Hicknell. “If not, you are going to have a plant at the north end of Elmira that people will die from, in my opinion.”
Hicknell criticized councillors for not being more vocal in their concerns about traffic, in sending its comments to the Ministry of the Environment, the approval authority for the biogas facility, under the Green Energy Act.
Earlier this year, council passed a motion highlighting its concerns, and asking the ministry to complete a traffic study before approval is granted.
Woolwich councillor Mark Bauman noted that the decision on whether to approve the facility has been taken out of the township’s hands.
“The province is going to make the decision for us,” said Bauman.
Hicknell said he felt the township could have worded their concerns more forcefully.
“That doesn’t preclude council from being proactive,” said Hicknell, who pointed out the province would be prepared to ignore its own guidelines for minimum distance separation if it approved the biogas plant.
“You could point out they are ignoring their own planning guidelines.”
Councillors agreed to pass on Hicknell’s concerns, as well as those raised by other township residents, to the Ministry of the Environment, after a suggestion from councillor Sandy Shantz.