The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-04-07, Page 9Group seeks modified route
By Stephanie Levesque
STRATFORD - Hearings on Ontario Hydro's six
proposed transmission line routes in Southwestern
Ontario are expected to wrap up this week.
At the end of last week, parties and participants
followed Ontario Hydro's rebuttal of evidence given
at the hearings. The hearings, heard by the Con-
solidated Hearings Board chaired by B.E. Smith
have only taken one week off since they started Jan.
Of Ontario Hydro's six proposed routes, three have
received the majority of support from those giving
evidence. The farm groups prefer M3, or as the
foodland-hydro committee (an 'ad hoc committee of
15 farm organizations) proposed, an alternative to
the six.
In its brief and rebuttal, the committee, chaired by
Tony McQuail of R.R. 1, Lucknow, proposes a
transmission line from Bruce Nuclear • PoWer
Development to Essa, and the rebuilding of present
230 kV lines in the Milton to Middleport areas.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food deputy
minister, said he personally prefers M3, while the On-
tario Institute of. Pedology, commissioned by OMAF
recommends 14Tor M5.
Ontario'] yrrj1Iro recommends Ml, and in rebuttal
lawyer' Bruce Campbell said evidence presented at
the hearings has given hydro no reason to change its
recommendation. Reviewing the three routes MI, M3
and M5, Mr. Campbell said M3 "is the worst overall
from a technical perspective." He acknowledged it
had, the least impact on agricultural lands. In line
length he said, it is the second worst of the proposed
six, and in the number of towers, second worse to M5,
which has a 500kV single circuit line from Bruce to
Essa and two 500kV single circuit lines from BNPD to
the London area.
In regardsto the foodland-hydro committee's ,
recommendation, Mr. Campbell said, "Modification
doesn't make it any more attractive than it present-
ly is."
Comparing Ml and M5, hydro's lawyer said Ml's
line length is significantly less than M5's, and Ml has
1,256 towers, while M5 calls for 2,072 towers.
Mr. Campbell referred to evidence given earlier in
the week by Huron County Planner Gary Davidson, in
which the County of Huron in two separate motions
supports Ml and opposes 'M5. He added that Mr.
Davidson said the county does not object to plan M3.
Mr. Campbell said the countv's position should be
given "great weight" because it is willing to accept a
line running full-length through the county. He added
the county's opposition to M5 should be respected.
"All information considered, taken in balance,
leads me to submit plan Ml is preferable," said Mr.
Campbell.
He said the null alternative or the do nothing ap-
proach doesn't meet,the purpose of the alternative in-
terpretation allowed.
In Mr. Davidson's submission he said the county
discussed last fall such matters as agricultural land
use protection, costs of the various routes and the
general need for electricity in the province.
AGREE w.
- "After that discussion they took the position that
they would support the Ml line, not strictly on one
ground such as agricultural land use planning or
agricultural land use protection, because they agreed
with Hydro" that it met numerous criteria," said Mr.
Davidson.
He said the county discussed the matter again at its
session on March 25, and re -affirmed its support of
Ml and indicated it is opposed to M5.
"The other route M3, was also discussed and of
course M3 would have no impact on Huron County,
the County Council in fact would not object to that,
although they did want their position. to be made
known that they do support M1 and that they continue
in the support of M1 and they are in fact willing to ac-
cept a certain amount of impact in the construction of
transmission facilities for the good of the area and for
achieving Hydro's goals of supplying power to the
. province. They do not feel, however, that the entire
impact especially on agricultural lands should. be
borne by them" said Mr. Davidson. •
The county planner also said the county wants to be
involved in the public participation process that is to
be used in the actual route stage study.
"We feel if the municipalities were directly involv-
ed in designing and running. the public participation
with the assistance of Ontarib Hydro or together
with Ontario' Hydro at the route stage, that many of
the problems, that will occur during the dual approval
process can be lessened and' that the selection of a
route or a specific. route•stage will proceed more ex-
peditiously," said Mr. Davidson.
OTHER CONCERN
Another concern Mr. Davidson noted is the ac-
Goderich Elevator donates
$500 toward new. system
The campaign to raise
money for the installation of
a new sound system at the
Goderich and Distirct
Memorial Community
Centre received a healthy
boost from a local industry
last week:
George Parsons, on behalf
of Goderich Elevator Ltd. ,
donated $500 towards the
sound system project in
. response to a request from
. the campaign committee.
Anna Melski of the com-
mittee explained that a new
sound system . is badly
needed in the arena and that
appraisals for that system
carry a $20,000 price tag. The
committee . has secured
grants for the project; $2000.
from Community Recreation
Centres and $6,000 from
Wintario, which , must be
matched in pledges from the
community and Melski
• explained that money is
needed by the end of the
month. .
The campaign to raise
funds for the project has
been going on quietly for
quite a • while. Roll-a-thon
• have raised $2,700 and the
Goderich Figure Skating
Club donated $1,500.
In a serious effort to get
the fund-raising, campaign in
gear, letters explaining the
project have been forwarded
to all arena user groups,
businesses, service clubs,
industry, ball groups and
any other groups who may
have use of the arena.
facility. The response hasn't
been overwhelming and , in
fact, the $500 donation from
Goderich Elevator is the
first commitment from a
non -user group.
But Melski is hopeful that
business, industry, service
clubs and user groups will
rally behind the project to
vastlyimprove the quality of
the sound equipment at the
arena. -
Teenagers hold
starve-a-thon
By Blanche Deeves
Ten teenagers and Rev.
Bechtel held their starve7a-
thon on the weekend with
each teenager stiiying tfie
full time of 40 hours.
Congratulation to all who
took part.
The Enterprising Seniors
met on April 1, and went to
Schilbe's sugar bush for a
tour \and returned to centre
for a short -meeting. Several
members played • shuf-
fleboard while ladies
'prepared a delicious supper
of pancakes and syrup from
the sugar bush. Next
meeting is Apri115.
Church Service at the
Holmesville United Church
was cancelled last Sunday
due to the weather.
liarli ani` Arm Bettr
have returned after a happy
holiday . - visiting St.
Augustine and Key. West,
spending a few days at the
Gulf. They visited with
Donna and Harold , Tyndall
and Arabell Bushell, also
Mrs. Ena Harvey (Weston)
and Miss Thelma Irish and
spent some time with Gertie
and Doug Feagan. Now
they're home, getting back
in the groove.
p6006
397 Main Street Exeter
Surprise Sale
all day Thursday 9 to 9
Infants to Size 14
2o% OFF
All Clothing
(Not including hand made articles
or diapers)
°
The $20,000 needed will be
used to purchase a. sound
system, improve acoustics
and also for the construction.
of a small sound booth in the
north-east corner of the
arena. Some pledges are
trickling in, Melsiexplained,
and another roll-a-thon is
planned this sprint.'"
In any group or individual
requires further information
on the system or the fund-
raising campaign they are
asked to call Jane Netzke at
the recreation office on
McDonald Street.
curacy of the data used by Ontario Hydro.
"The only thing I think that we would like to say at
this stage is that it is in some ways unfortuna that
the study proceeded in 1982 just as the 1981 data to
come out, but that can't. be helped. Our concern, and
we posed this to Ontario Hydro, was a requirement to
use the 1981 data when the route study was done and
they of course have agreed to do that," Mr. Davidson
said. .,
Summarizing the opposition to M5, the county plan-
ner said in choosing a line to accomplish the least ef-
fect on agriculture, M3 would do that. He said
agriculture is one consideration and Ontario. Hydro
and the county have looked at all a pects. The main
reasons the county is opposetlJo , is the increased
number of towers over Ml and th double impact of
two'lines at two different times. )
In Mr. McQuail's rebuttal for the foodland-hydro
committee, he said in its analysis, the committee's
proposal is the best alternative. .
' Mr. McQuail said the committee is not. giving a
• technical suggestion, but he noted in Ontario Hydro's
reply evidence there wasn't much opposition to the
proposal and' to .the committee, it is .an acceptable
undertaking to be considered.
He suggested the delay to study the committee's
proposal would only be as long as the delay there was
in releasing Ontario Hydro's six proposals while
awaiting the government's decision.
The foodland-hydro cornmittee chairman express- •
ed confidence in its proposal and said he hoped the
Consolidated Hearings Board will recommend it in its
final decision. -
•
Mr. McQuail submitted costs to the board and
noted the committee has spent 1,100 hours attending
the hearings and meetings, not including the working
group meetings, to present a unified position) from the
agricultural groups. ,
In his attempt to get the committee's costs award- .
ed to Ontario Hydro, Mr. McQuail 'said parts of the
farming sector think involvement in the hearing 'pro -
..cess would not change any decision. But Mr. McQuail
didn't look at it in that way. He did suggest when the
board announces its decision, it be made in Stratford,
so more confidence could be taken in the board's deci-
sion because of its openness and not tucked away
in Toronto. •
• Board chairman Mr. Smith suggested the commit-
tee file an application for costs with the board and it
would be considered.
at the
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