Ethanol Plant at Oshawa Harbour - City of Oshawa resolves against

This resolution, passed this week, is as strong a resolution I have seen.

1. That the City of Oshawa emphatically reaffirms its opposition to the development of an ethanol plant at the Oshawa Harbour beside the Provincially Significant Second Marsh:

2. That the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment, MP Or.
Colin Carrie and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada be advised that the City of Oshawa adamantly opposes the establishment of an ethanol plant at the Oshawa Harbour and requests that the Federal Government in the interest of transparency and accountability forthwith:

(a) Withdraw any consent previously given by the Oshawa Harbour Commission for an ethanol plant to be established on Crown land or land to become Crown land at the Oshawa Harbour;

(b) Withdraw any consent previously given by the Oshawa Harbour Commission for an ethanol plant proponent to apply to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for any federal funding for an ethanol plant to be established on Crown land or land to become Crown land at the Oshawa Harbour;

(c) Deny any and all requests for financial contributions or support for an ethanol plant at the Oshawa Harbour including the current request by FarmTech;

(d) Withhold any further Federal consideration of any major new land uses at the Oshawa Harbour since the Canadian Port Authority has not been formed and the Land Use Plan required by the Canada Marine Act has not been prepared and approved by the Canadian Port Authority, including the required public participation; and

(e) Compel the Oshawa Harbour Commission,as appropriate,to undertake those actions outlined in Part 3 below .

3. That the Oshawa Harbour Commission,in the interest of transparency and accountability, be requested to immediately:

(a) Release to the public any license, lease, option or other legal instrument which

(d) Release to the public the data, analysis and business case on which it based its decision to accommodate a proposed ethanol plant at the harbour including information on the use of ships and shipping/harbour facilities by the ethanol plant;

(e) Release to the public any approvals or consents that the Oshawa Harbour
Commission received from the Federal Government in regard to a potential ethanol plant at the Oshawa Harbour; and

(f) Withhold any further Oshawa Harbour Commission consideration of any major new land uses at the Oshawa Harbour since the Canadian Port Authority has not been formed and the Land Use Plan required by the Canada Marine Act has not been prepared and approved by the Canadian Port Authority, including the. required public participation; and

4. That the City Manager be authorized to engage, on a sole source basis, specialized consulting services to prepare and submit a submission to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in respect to the Environmental Assessment Screening Report for a proposed ethanol plant on the Gifford Hill at the Oshawa Harbour to be funded from the Harbour Redevelopment Reserve; and further, that the City's submission be posted on the
City's website.

5. That the Mayor's office coordinate a public awareness and political campaign focused on stopping the proposed ethanol plant at the harbour.

6. That the Council of the Region of Durham be requested to support the City's position as set out in this motion regarding opposition to the development of an ethanol plant at the Oshawa Harbour.