The Rural Voice, 1981-08, Page 7A certain distrust with Hydro surfaced
when one participant asked if the private
input from unorganized individuals and
groups would be interpreted by the utility
as proof of public participation.
"No. Maybe. Yes," answered Abbott.
"we will meet with anyone, but we won't
make that claim. Input from this area will
not be interpreted as input from the
Listowel group."
Also considered was Hydro's perceived
need for expansion. Company spokesmen
said the utility couldn't hold off planning
until an actual need for the expansion is
clearly established. If it turned out there
was no need for enlarged facilities at that
time, which they admit is possible, the
planning would be in place for future
development.
That explanation does not cool
McQuail. Hydro has already stated its
calculation of the load growth. but the
Huron County farmer noted Hydro had
been wrong about previous forecasts. It
has had to reduce one growth projection
from 7.7 per cent to 3.3 per cent and even
the 3.3 per cent figure may be too high.
McQuail also takes exception to Hydro's
opinion that design of the bulk power
system won't be affected by lack of plans
for an additional generating stations on
Lake Huron before the year 2000. "That's
only nineteen years from now." noted
McQuail. "and 1 wouldn't believe their
most solemn promise if they would say
not to build here later."
Another criticism of Hydro is that it
has failed to regard many recommenda-
tions (one of which is the selection of
chairmen for public working groups ) of
the Porter Commission on electric power.
In this instance the criticism seems a
little hasty. It is true Hydro has self cted
the chairmen, but they are choices which
appear difficult to challenge, and each
group has been empowered to pick a
vice-chairman from within itself.
The groups will be chaired by repre-
sentatives of the Huron Erie Land Use
Study (HELUS) group, an independent
organization. Dr. Ed Pleva, well known
for his work at the geography department
at the University of Western Ontario, will
head up the reviews in London, Chatham
and Listowel. Dr. John Sullivan. also
from Western. will chair meetings in
Flesherton and Ancaster.
To construct this working groups,
Hydro sought delegates from six agricul-
tural organizations, including the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture, along with
nine environmental bodies, four munici-
pal groups, six from business and
development, seven representing com-
munity and culture, five from resource
and industry, three from energy fields
and six from recreation.
The invitation for public input into the
selection process is a relatively new step
for the utility. "Before, Ontario Hydro
did a study, then said 'this is what we
want'," explained Tom Rusnov, a Hydro
executive, at a media briefing in Exeter in
early July, "but the public said they
wanted input at earlier stages."
A variety of factors were considered in
designating the six proposed routes. four
of which run south from Bruce to London,
and Hydro says those factors will
continue to receive consideration during
the entire selection process. Points for
study include agricultural production,
human settlement. timber production.
mineral extraction, wildlife game re-
sources, recreation, aquatic communities
terrestrial communities and the appear-
ance of the landscape.
"We have already evaluated the
plans," Rusnov told the meeting. "We
are now asking the public to help
determine which of the factors are most
important. There's not a single plan you
can look at and say which plan is the best.
One person's dessert is another's poison.
We need the public support to choose the
least difficult. Regardless of which route
(the remaining two routes. generally,
run east from Bruce to Barrie, then turn
south to ultimately end in the Nanticoke
area) is chosen, some people will not he
happy."
In the end, Hydro still seems to need to
clear its public relations image if it is
sincere in its desire for wide ranging
public input. Both the decision, and the
suspicions, aired at Listowel indicate
there may be a lot more poison than
dessert yet to dine on.
THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1981 PG. 5