Collingwood, like most communties in the world, would like to do their part to perserve our environment. However, the struggle to develop renewable resources in a densely devolped world has been difficult. Everybody wants it but not in my back yard or if it diminishes my quality of life. Solar, wind, biofuels, etc are all great but where do you put them?
Case in point. Collingwood, through great effort, attracted an ethanol producer to take over our old starch plant. The old starch plant was in operation for many years and in our only industrially zoned section of town. Recently, however, a residential development was built close to it. All the buyers in this development were made aware that, periodically, odours would emit from the plants across the street. However, Collingwood Ethanol emitted more noise and odour than was acceptable and the struggle began.
Today, Collinwood Ethanol, newly named Amaizeingly Green, pleaded guilty to charges by the Ministry of the Environment for violating the Evironmental Protection Act and was fined $300,000.
CE also pleaded guilty to an additional charge of operating odour-causing equipment without obtainibg necessary operating approvals from the MoE and was fined $25,000 accordingly. With all that has gone on in the past year, I believe that the Ethanol plant will probably not survive. Personally, I don't think ethanol is a viable and economically feasable alternative fuel and don't really care if they shut down.
What I am concerned about is the general difficulty of creating alternative energy. We also have wind enrgy operations trying to set up in our region and they are running into the same kind of opposition. It's all fine but not in my back yard! What is the solution? Where is the compromise?
