Town of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

The Ministry of the Environment has issued a Control Order (number 3810-7JJRUB) under Section 7 of the Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E 19 (“EPA – Environmental Protection Act) to Collingwood Ethanol GP Limited.

A Provincial Officer’s Report, submitted on January 29th, 2009, by Jason Lehouillier, Provincial Offer, from the Barrie District Office of the Ministry of the Environment, has outlined the key background facts, issues and concerns regarding this matter and the reasons for the order. “I am of the opinion that the discharges from Collingwood Ethanol are contributing to the noise and odours being experienced downwind of the East Collingwood Industrial Park, resulting in an adverse effect, specifically, loss of enjoyment of normal use of property and discomfort to persons” Lehouiller stated in his report. “I believe that Collingwood Ethanol must take action to prevent any continuation or repetition of these contraventions” he added.

Mayor Carrier said that the action taken by the Ministry of the Environment validates the concerns of the residential, commercial and industrial representatives in Collingwood’s east end that the ongoing issue of noise and odour has yet to be fixed. “People have asked me if there has been an improvement in the winter, and I would say that it has been less frequent but it may have more to do with local weather conditions as opposed to something that the plant has done” Mayor Carrier said. “We rely upon the Ministry of the Environment as our objective government agency to review the science and make a determination, and once again they have made a determination that Collingwood Ethanol continues to cause adverse impact and effect to the residents of Collingwood.

Mayor Carrier is concerned that communication between the Town of Collingwood and Collingwood Ethanol isn’t as good as it could be. “Ever since they hired their communications expert I’m going to suggest that communication between the town and the facility has worsened as opposed to getting better” Carrier said on Georgian Bay Today on 97.7 The Beach. Carrier went on to say that he doesn’t think personalities are getting in the way of progress to correct the ongoing situation at Collingwood Ethanol. “Certainly not from the town side” Carrier said. “The town is a professional corporation and acts accordingly. I think what we saw in September with PGIB coming into the community and doing what they did; was that personal – I think when you say that the senior director of that organization was the son of one of the investors of Collingwood Ethanol, you could say perhaps that it was personal” Carrier said. “The corporation did not distance itself from that attack, and they could have, and they should have” Carrier added. “I think that for somebody to say that it’s a personal vendetta is quite frankly hurtful to the community. If that’s a directed statement at myself I can say that it’s a categorical lie” Carrier stated.

Carrier is concerned that the ongoing odour issues in Collingwood’s east end continues to impact other industry. “We have had complaints from neighbouring industries complaining that this smell has an effect on our workforce. We have investors in our community who are developing subdivisions who are developing other projects that are in the millions upon millions of dollars who are telling us that the smell is having an adverse effect and negative impact on their sales” Carrier said. Carrier said that there have been sales in some of the subdivisions that have been lost. “When the people have visited the community they have walked away because of the smell in the area” Carrier said. “One factory, one employer does not control the greater good for the community” Carrier said, adding that as politicians, all that is wanted is for this factory to comply with the rules that it said it would operate by. “We look to the Ministry of the Environment to enforce that. We have ample documentation that they have yet to comply and whether or not that’s an inability or unwillingness, that’s something for somebody else to determine. All we want is a good employer, a good neighbour and for everybody to be happy” Carrier said.

Mayor Carrier said that it seems that there has been significant investment over the past eighteen months by Collingwood Ethanol in an attempt to improve the situation. “Right now I think it’s in the hands of the senior management team and the investors to determine the outcome as to whether they continue to make investments in the plant or whether they determine that maybe it’s time to shut it down” Carrier said. “The Ministry of the Environment officials are the other major player. Whether they walk in and say that clearly, you can’t fix it and shut it down temporarily, it will be up to them” Carrier added.

The Town of Collingwood has a court date in March to move forward on its Public Nuisance charge laid against Collingwood Ethanol last year. Mayor Carrier said the Town has documentation to support its case. “Not to pre-judge what the outcome would be but I think we can certainly make a case that there is an ongoing adverse effect on our community” Carrier said.
.