UPCOMING WOOLWICH BIO-EN PUBLIC MEETING

It is scheduled for January 29, 2020 in Lions Hall (beside the Elmira arena) at 7:30 pm. There are a number of major issues that the public will ignore at their personal peril if they do not attend and at least listen and learn. Ideally if they have some concerns or comments they should approach the microphone and present them. This of course assumes that it will be a real public meeting and not one of the hokey, dog and pony shows whereby the proponents, their consultants and then the MOE preach to the converted while ignoring the rest of the audience. I will say this: during the period of a few years where I attended the Woolwich Bio-En citizens committee meetings I found the company and their spokespersons/management/ownership to be quite approachable. I sincerely hope that thisd is the plan for the 29th.

Issues include the expansion of the site to include a waste transfer station. Details please! Volumes, types of waste, method of storage etc. Then there is the increase in the type of waste to be made available for the digestor and production of methane. Again details please! What kinds of waste? From where etc.? The whole idea of generating electricity from organic waste is to produce more energy with fewer environmental negatives. Trucking organic waste hundreds of miles by truck may well negate the advantages of the entire idea of renewable energy. Yes there is lots of organic waste out there but if it's going to be used for generating electricity it should be done so close to the source of the wastes. Of course an increase in truck traffic through and near the downtown is a very bad idea. Diesel fumes are toxic and have already taken local citizens lives. We do not need more concentrated in a small, already busy area.

Please attend on the 29th and decide if this project, on the balance of its merits and drawbacks should go ahead.