To whom this may concern,…

To whom this may concern, PLEASE REFUSE THE CEMENT PLANT PROJECT!!! I am a 27 year old woman who grew up in Hawkesbury my whole life. My fiancé and I just recently purchased our first home in L'Orignal where we planned to raise our family. I teach at a school in Vankleek Hill and he works in Hawkesbury. We are rooted in the community and hoping to spend a many years living here. L'Orignal is a beautiful, quiet community with a great school, access to the Ottawa river and great neighbours, but unfortunately we will be moving if the cement plant project is given the green light. I have done the research, attended the information sessions and read over the Colacem website. Here is why I believe it is unimaginable to think that the Ministry of Environment would allow such a plant to establish themselves in L'Orignal: 1- It has been confirmed by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (Dr. Paul Roumeliotis) that the area already suffers from higher than normal rates for many types of cancers. It is the responsibility of the MOE to also consider the existing health situation of the population. This cement plant project should be refused on this basis alone. I refuse to raise my children in an area where I would knowingly be subjecting them to toxins that could lead to asthma, bronchitis, cancer, cognitive/ developmental/pulmonary/respiratory and nervous system problems. Would you raise your children in such an area? 2- Our main industry is agriculture. With the obvious deterioration of soil and water quality, what will become of this? 3- The cement plant website states that 80-110 trucks will be travelling on our already dangerous and busy Highway 17 an HOUR!!!!!! This highway does not have the capacity to deal with 1,300 transport vehicles travelling on it every day. Talk about an increase in taxes to deal with road maintenance. 4- Other cement plants are only working at 60%. Money will now be spent to build another 52 buildings, a pet coke storage and a 410 ft. smoke stack - how does this make sense? They say it will create about 125 jobs. Even if this is true, I doubt many jobs will go to local residents? Are these jobs worth our wellbeing and future? We are in the 21st century and can surely come up with a vision/solution to create jobs and protect our environment all at the same time. 5- Negative financial impacts: increased health care costs, decreased profits in agriculture, increased road maintenance, property devaluation, loss of citizens. 6- I am a teacher, my job is to care for and educate my students. We talk a lot about pollution in class and initiatives to keep our environment and community clean. How am I supposed to explain to them that despite their many efforts to do their part our government has allowed such a plant to root themselves and pollute our community? In primary schools, children coming to school sick is not uncommon. We do our best to keep a clean school so our kids can stay healthy. I cannot protect them from hazardous toxins floating around in the air, nor can I protect our outdoor classroom or gardens that have been built by the children around the school. In 2013 a poll stated that Canada was dead last in ranking for environmental protection. I am asking that you prove this poll wrong. That you protect our families and environment from the negative impacts that will surely hit our beautiful area if this project goes through. I am therefore saying NO to all of it. NO to the cement plant and NO to the zoning changes. Thank you, Resident - Kim Rouleau