To Concerned Residents of Guelph and Surrounding Townships:
Everyone in Guelph-Eramosa Township (GET) and the City of Guelph should be concerned about the Xinyi Float-Glass plant proposal. This massive industrial plant presents many life and health threatening dangers to the entire area.
People only learned about this plant proposal recently, even though planning has been underway for months, seemingly “under the radar.” Some of our local elected officials are fast-tracking it without adequate public consultation and complete environmental assessment.
However, it is NOT a “done deal” yet, as some believe. Although the farmland is provisionally purchased for the plant, the sale could fall through if Xinyi does not get all the necessary permits.
Details you should know about the proposed massive Xinyi glass-float plant:
WHERE AND WHAT: Xinyi has purchased about 125 acres to build a $400 million mega-plant of two million square-feet and 72 feet high (7 stories). They are now asking GET to change the Zoning By-laws in order to squeeze the plant onto the site with is too small and not zoned for such use. For comparison, the Cambridge Toyota plant is on 400 acres.
Located by the intersection of Highway 124 and County Road 32, the plant would increase the already heavy traffic on these roads when Xinyi’s 100-200 trucks per day start operating.
WATER USAGE: The plant plans to pump 1.6 MILLION litres of water out of our aquifers daily, year after year. This area is zoned industrial — but only for “dry” industrial use which is defined as “uses which do not use significant amounts of water in their operation…” Guelph already has a summer water use problem. Furthermore, the City of Guelph’s nearby Queensdale wellhead is already deemed “unsustainable.” This mega-plant will use an estimated 70% of the entire township’s present water consumption. All aquifers are connected, and climate change or temporary droughts can deplete them. Water is not an infinitely renewable resource. Just look to our close neighbor Erin which will spend another $600,000 looking for a viable water source.
AQUIFERS: Our aquifers are refilled by ground water (rain, snow, runoffs). Quality of water is affected by industrial effluents. Incredibly, the Xinyi plant sits on the boundary but just outside the Province’s “Source Water Protection” area which may exempt Xinyi from a Tier 3 Assessment through the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC).
PRIVATE WELLS: Private wells do NOT have the protection under the Clean Water Act (CWA). GET residents can be concerned not only with the quantity of water, but also with the quality. This massive plant will produce effluents that will drain into ground water and can pollute aquifers. Our local officials have sworn an oath to safeguard us and our water supply; they should commission studies to protect our environment.
FIRE AND EXPLOSION DANGER: Danger of FIRE is so extreme that Xinyi is requesting an on-site dormitory to house their workers, including firefighters who must be on the scene at all times. Consider this: the enormous furnace this plant requires will be located at the convergence of two large propane storage facilities, a gas station and a chemical plant. The City of Guelph Fire Department who monitors this area says it would NOT be equipped to deal with a massive explosion or fire. Do you recall the “Sunrise Propane Explosion” in Toronto in 2008? Just Google it!! All industrial plants are subject to fires.
WORKER SAFETY: To house the “temporary” workers on the premises, rather than in local hotels, Xinyi wants us to change the Township’s By-laws so they can construct a dormitory. Even Provincial regulations prohibit on-site living quarters for reasons of safety.
Some of our councilors seem prepared to rush these changes through without regard for the implications, and for setting a dangerous precedent.
There are many other environmental and employment issues, but the ones above loom large. Xinyi has presented NO site plan yet, and NO public meetings are required once one is concluded on May 9.
The lack of transparency on this entire project is shocking. The only public meeting where interested people can question the GET councilors, raise objections, or submit letters will happen on Wednesday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Marden Community Centre, 7368 Wellington Road 30 Guelph/Eramosa. Agenda: see By-Law changes requested on GET website.
Check out the Website for more Information: WWW.GETconcerned.com
Mary H. Rubio, R. R. 6, Beech Street, Guelph, ON
Mary H. Rubio