Lafarge water-taking permit missing key details for Wolfe Island project

Alternative wind energy concert and radio show in Kingston

On Wednesday, June 25th, an audience gathered at Kingston's Grad Club for a special live taping of Living At the Barricades presented by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and CFRC 101.9fm. Guest hosts Sarah Harmer and Sarah McDermott led an exciting half-hour show featuring: interviews with experts attending the World Wind Energy Conference in Kingston (June 24-26, 2008), lawyer Peggy Smith and local Wolfe Island residents, live musical performances (by Sarah Harmer, Chris Brown, Jay Euringer, and Spencer Evans), and an informative and powerful discussion on the Wolfe Island Wind Project.

Listen to Live at the Barricades.

Last week, Waterkeeper presented its comments to the Ministry of the Environment regarding Lafarge Canada's request for air emissions and water taking permits related to its plan to produce concrete for the Wolfe Island Wind Project. In Waterkeeper's view, the permit to take water should not be granted at this time because the application is alarmingly vague. In particular, Lafarge is not able to say how much water is needed or how freshwater will be conserved and has not demonstrated how and if contaminated process water will be managed.

The Wolfe Island Wind Project is an 86-turbine wind development proposed for Wolfe Island, Ontario. Wolfe Island is located across from Kingston at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. Here, the lake meets the St. Lawrence River. Lafarge Canada intends to construct a ready-mix concrete batching plant on the Island to serve the Wolfe Island Wind Project. The concrete plant will be located within the Greenwood Quarry, at 885 Hwy 96.

Lafarge Canada applied for two Certificates of Approval for the ready-mix concrete batching plant (the Plant). Lafarge is requesting permission to release contaminants such as dust, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide into the air.

Lafarge is also asking for a permit to take water from Lake Ontario. Water will be drawn in through a pipe to be constructed in the bay at Mill Point. The concrete plant will use somewhere between 164,000 litres each day and 576,000 litres per day. Water will be mixed with the product to make the concrete and not discharged back into the environment. Water may also be required for dust control.

Waterkeeper is particularly concerned with the following:

• The actual scale of the water taking is still unknown, resulting in environmental and regulatory uncertainties
• The applicant is unable to say if it will require a wastewater management system
• The Certificate of Approval must include terms and conditions to address water level fluctuations, monitoring requirements, better reporting requirements, mitigation of environmental impacts, etc.
• The Certificate of Approval must include terms and conditions to address water level fluctuations, monitoring requirements, better reporting requirements, mitigation of environmental impacts, etc.
• The application requires additional amendments and information.

The public comment period for the Air emissions application was extended to July 12, 2008, because the supporting documents for the application were not made available to the public at the time that notice was posted to the Environmental Registry.