We, the reidents on Bay Road…

We, the reidents on Bay Road in L'Orignal, all have surface wells along the Bay on the Ottawa River and any contaminants in the river filter into our drinking water. The Colacem proposed cement plant only 2 km away from the river will dump heavy metals into the bay. This is very bad news, especially given that the Ottawa River has recently been declared a heritage site to be protected from pollution. This added threat along with the air pollution emitting from such a major industry in this residential and agricultural zone is totally inappropriate and incompatible with this location. It appears that one of the major share holders of this Italian cement plant is Tony Acurso whose name was very prominent in the Charbonneau commission in Quebec. As his activities are closely scrutinized in Quebec, he has set his sites on Eastern Ontario where he figures the laws are less stringent. I sincerely hope that our ministry of the environment in Ontario will not be blinded and will see through this ploy. Such a dirty industry does not belong here in a pristine country setting and by a county road that cannot accommodate the 80 to 110 trucks per HOUR. That type of industrial complexes belongs in an industrial centre by a major highway and much closer to Montreal where that cement is destined for export. Why impose such extreme contamination and pollution on a country setting so far from the destination of the finished product? I believe the answer is clear. The people behind the prObject figure that they can get away with it. In other places, the authorities are more vigilant. I urge you, please look at this very carefully, because once you open up the dam, it will be too late and we shall all pay a heavy price for a huge and irretrievable mess. Colacem has no business here in Champlain where it will pollute an area at least ten km in every direction. This is an urgent call to refuse this request to contaminate the Ottawa River and the lives of the people who have chosen to live here in a country set tin and NOT IN AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE. Thank you for carefully examining this very dangerous precedent. Respectfully, Leola Meagher for the residents on Bay Road and all of Champlain and surroundings