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Friends of the Cawthra Bush & Greater Mississauga Area
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Opening comments: More at the end. The Mississauga News - Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - Page A4 All choked up
Welcome to Missisauga, the pollution capital of Ontario! That might as well be our official slogan. The news that a fourth power plant has been proposed for this city does not come as welcome news, but none of us should be surprised because the will to keep these facilities, out of our city does not exist. While it is true that it is not likely that all four would be approved, any addition to an already dangerous situation will certainly not have any beneficial effects on our health. The newest proposal would see a natural gas-fired plant in the northend near Hurontario St. Already approved is the Sithe plant that is earmarked for Clarkson. We also have the Lakeview Generating Station. Lakeview is supposed to close next year, but without replacements, we should not hold our breathes. Clearly, Mississauga has done - and continues to do - its share of providing energy at the risk of contamination. That contamination is real. Last week's report from PollutionWatch, a watchdog organization, indicates Mississauga, particularly along the lakefront, is one of the most polluted areas in Ontario. The report also indicates the contamination of our air is getting worse, not better, despite the promises from provincial and federal governments to make clean air a priority. The alarm bell on this issue has been sounded by a number of the usual groups who oppose such activity. While their efforts should be applauded, it appears their community activism is being taken for granted. It is time for others to step forward on this issue to let the decision makers know that it is not only the environmentalists who are conerned about the air that we breathe, that regular ratepayers have had enough, too. As Peter Orphanos, a long-time local environmentalist pointed out in a story last week, "we only get the kind of stanaards we demand." If we all don't demand better standards, the effects on our health will be devastating. Home page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a Page - Back to Top [ COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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