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Anti-asphalt community continues to lobby, awaiting council vote,
Oct. 10
BACKGROUNDER: When
PB Paving and Landscaping chose to build its proposed asphalt plant on a vacant plot of land along County Road
17 in Plantagenet, local residents came together to protest. They made their intentions known at a public meeting
in July when some 300 angry residents showed up to voice their concerns.
UPDATE: Council
Meeting October 1st
The proponent (PB Paving and Landscaping) has asked that the demand for rezoning Plantagenet to build an asphalt
plant be put on 'HOLD'. There will therefore be no vote by council on October 10th. More details regarding the
direction of the Township of Alfred-Plantagenet Council on this matter will hopefully be known this Monday October
1st. Everyone is welcome to the regular council meeting: 7:00 p.m. Plantagenet Community Hall, Monday, 1st October
2012.  For more including
pictures of the last council meeting, click here.
The Canaan Connexion will continue to
post updates on their subsequent activities and related news as they come in. If we are
missing something, please let us know. |
A-P Council meeting, September 10: The path is far from being paved
for developers
Alfred-Plantagenet Mayor defends council’s position on proposed asphalt plant
Plans for proposed asphalt plant on hold until hydrogeological study
is complete
CTV: New jobs not worth loss of farmland to many Plantagenet
citizens
The opposition held a BBQ to raise awareness
Protesters wave “red flag” on asphalt plant proposal
Radio-Canada, French: Proposed asphalt plant: concerns remain
high in A-P
Residents don’t want asphalt plant in Plantagenet
Could this happen here?
The people of Roseville, Minnesota won their case in 2010 |
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Alfred-Plantagenet council meeting - September 10
The path is far from being paved for developers
(Roughly translated by Patrick Meikle) |
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Nearly 400 residents showed up at a public meeting in Plantagenet yesterday,
to oppose a proposed asphalt plant. (Photo - Samuel Blais-Gauthier, LeDroit)
(Le Droit, Tuesday, September 10, 2012) The path is far from being paved for the group of developers who wish to
operate an asphalt plant in the village of Plantagenet 20 minutes east of Rockland on Highway 17.
"My reading of things is that this file will come up before the Ontario Municipal Board
(OMB). Regardless of what happens, if it is not the council or a group of residents opposed to filing an objection
to the project, it will be developers who will (go to the OMB) if it doesn't go in their favour, "said the
Alfred-Plantagenet CEO, Marc Daigneault during the council meeting with opponents of the project looking on.
At a second public meeting Monday evening, the village mobilized in force to hear the proposal
submitted by Rockland company PB Paving and Landscaping, who want to build an asphalt plant on property located
along Highway 17, near the Jessup's Falls bridge in Plantagenet.
Nearly 400 residents, mostly dressed in red in protest, came out to try to convince elected officials
and municipal administrators one last time to halt the project, before council makes a decision at the October
10 meeting on the zoning change requested by developers.
The alarm was again sounded by many residents and local consultants yesterday.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the target location for this project is the worse that could be to install
a factory. The ground where developers want to build the asphalt plant consists of karst limestone rock, friable (crumbly) and unstable.
The rock underground cracks everywhere. If a chemical disaster occured, it would spread into the Nation River,
into the aquifer (groundwater), and then into the Ottawa River even before there was time to act," warned caver (spelunker) Martin Archambault.
If the Township of Alfred-Plantegenet gives PB Paving and Landscaping the required rezoning,
it must then be approved by the regional government (the United Counties) for an official plan amendment in accordance
with the province.
"As long as the community has not been successful, we will always be as vocal and present.
To promote heavy industry at the expense of bread and water in our region is shameful," said (an irritated)
Suzanne Lavoie, owner of Mariposa, near the target site and a member of NZAP (No to zoning for asphalt Plant).
Silence of the elected
For their part, the politicians were happy to lend an ear, without interfering in the encounter.
"We are listening and the concerns are logical. But I am not able to comment. It is still
too early," said Councillor Serge Lalonde.
"If you say yes (to the project), you are deliberately putting part of the population and
their right to property and the environment at risk," said Marc-André Geoffroy, opponent and resident
of Alfred-Plantagenet.
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| Alfred-Plantagenet Mayor defends
council’s position on proposed asphalt plant |
(Vankleek Review, Wednesday, August 29, 2012) There's a reason the members of Alfred-Plantagenet council have remained
so tight-lipped about the proposed asphalt plant.
According to a statement posted by Mayor Jean-Yves Lalonde on the township's
website and in local newspapers, council understands that residents are concerned and said the township wants to
make the best possible decision for the municipality and its residents.
"Before making an educated decision, council must be informed of every aspect of this project. The council's
position must be supported by sound planning arguments in order for it to be successful before the Ontario Municipal
Board (OMB)," Lalonde said. "I sympathize with everyone concerned by this project. At this time, I can
only encourage you to trust the democratic consultation process in place." Read more... |
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| Plans for proposed asphalt plant on hold until hydrogeological
study is complete |
| (Vankleek Review, Wednesday, August 29, 2012) It appears the concerns of residents regarding the proposed asphalt plant
have not fallen on deaf ears. At a recent council meeting, Alfred-Plantagenet councillors passed a resolution stating
that plans for the plant will not proceed until a complete independent hydrogeological study is carried out on
the affected property. Read more... |
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| New jobs not worth loss of farmland to many Plantagenet
citizens |
 (CTV News, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012) A rural community east
of Ottawa is fighting a proposed asphalt plant, saying the economic benefits aren’t worth the loss of farmland.
PB Paving said it want to re-zone a section of rural land near Plantagenet for the plant, which could make them
millions of dollars for the company and create around 30 jobs. Read more/watch video... |
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| The opposition held a BBQ to raise awareness |
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(Radio
Canada - Plantagenet, Saturday, August 11, 2012) Nearly 200 residents of Alfred-Plantagenet,
in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, showed on Saturday to denounce a proposed asphalt plant in their
neighborhood. They threw a BBQ to raise awareness.
Read a CBC (Radio Canada) report in French and view their news video. Click here.
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| Protesters wave “red flag” on asphalt plant proposal |
|
 In a news story dated Wednesday,
August 1, 2012, the Vision Newspaper reported that a group of homeowners is taking a page out of the toreador’s manual and dangling a red
cloth in front of a company that is bullish on setting up an asphalt plant next door to local farmlands.
“We’re going red,” said Suzanne Lavoie, with a chuckle, as she explained the first public relations tactic for
No Zoning for Asphalt Plant for Plantagenet (NZAP), a grassroots protest group fighting a proposed asphalt plant
project.
The NZAP has since put up a web
page., a Facebook page and a petition page.
If you visit the website you will find an extensive outline of the NZAP activities along with photos, maps as well as the following
links on the English page:
- About Us
- About the Project
- Issues raised
- What you can do
- Documents
- Links
- Important Dates
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Projet d'usine d'asphalte: les inquiétudes
restent vives à Alfred-Plantagenet
Proposed asphalt plant: concerns remain high in A-P |
| (Radio-Canada, Tuesday, July 17, 2012) A proposed asphalt
plant continues cause concern in the municipality of Alfred-Plantagenet in Eastern Ontario. More than 300 residents
attended a Monday night council meeting to express their concerns about PB Paving and Landscaping settling west
of the village, along County Road 17. Read the French report here. |
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| Residents don’t want asphalt plant in
Plantagenet |
 (Alfred, Ontario, Monday, July 16, 2012) The Vankleek Hill Review reported that more than 300 angry residents crowded into
the Knights of Columbus hall in Alfred on Monday, July 16 for a public meeting to voice their concerns about the
proposed plan to build an asphalt plant in Plantagenet.
A vacant plot of land along County Road 17 may be the preferred location for PB Paving and Landscaping to build
its proposed asphalt plant, but it is not the preferred location for more than 450 Plantagenet residents and they
gathered to let members of Alfred-Plantagenet council, the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) and consultants
representing the company know how they felt. Read more... |
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Could this happen here?
Could this happen in here? This is the result of an asphalt spill that happend some years go in Mobile Alabama. |
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The people of Roseville, Minnesota won their
case in 2010
In a similar situation, residents of Roseville, Minnesota opposed an asphalt plant in their community. Read the
initial news report "Proposed asphalt plant in Roseville faces resident opposition" where it states:
"A major Twin Cities asphalt manufacturer has run into strong opposition over a new plant in Roseville."
Mendota Heights-based Bituminous Roadways wants to build an asphalt plant in the northern inner
ring suburb. State pollution control officials say the asphalt plant poses no human health risks.
However, residents who live near the proposed facility don't believe it, and Roseville elected
officials have lined up against it. " Read more...
In a subsequent story we learn that, "Neighbors Against the Asphalt Plant (NAAP) " met
with succes s in their opposition to the asphalt plant:
The Roseville City Council voted unanimously to deny the conditional use permit
for storage of outdoor materials, and the asphalt plant itself, on November 29, 2010. Thank you all who've contributed
to this effort! Read
more...
(Friday, August 10, 2012) The Canaan Connexion contacted Megan Dushin (photo) one of the Strategies
Committee members for the Neighbors Against the Asphalt Plant (NAAP) in Roseville, to find out what strategies
they used to oppose their proposed asphalt plant.
She advised that it took a lot of hard work to put their information together. In essence when
they studied the facts of the case and looked closely at the local zoning bylaw, they realized that their city
council members were not really familiar with the bylaws and the committee had to educate them on the facts.
They (NAAP) got the local students and businesses involved and developed a strategy to get a
lot of media
attention and coverage. One local business, Old Dutch (potatoe chips) happened to be
across the street from the proposed site. The company got behind the NAAP and among other things, were able to
convince the authorities that the smell given out by an asphalt plant would permeate and affect the taste of their
products.
The Center for Health, Environment
& Justice (CHEJ), a grassroots organization, was also able to assist the NAAP health
and environmental concerns as well as looking at real estate and property values and the NAAP in their research
also had input from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as well as studying guidlines in the Minnesota
Environmental Policy Act.
The NAAP also worked closely with council members as well as city staff to come together in a
non-confrontational manner so that council and staff would not become defensive during council meetings. They also
used email to keep council and staff informed.
The NAAP's involvement is extensively outlined on their website which is still available to look
at online. Click here...
In closing, Megan Dushin suggested that the local news media become involved (radio, TV and newspapers),
mentioning that Minnesota Public Radio was alerted and she advised that the CBC's As It
Happens could very likely pick up this story as public interest.
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