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Residents told they couldn't bring picket signs to meeting n 3 · Friday, February 12, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Continued from page 2 is 50 per cent larger than the Middletown plant within 400 metres of the nearest home, 320 metres of the nearest school and 65 metres of the nearest business. In response to the public's safety concerns, TransCanada's Executive Vice President of Operations and Major Projects Don Wishart has said TransCanada has operated gas-fired power plants within the Province of Ontario and across North America for more than 20 years without any kind of serious incident taking place. He also pointed out that TransCanada has policies in place that would avoid an accident similar to the one that took place in Middletown. "We have been informed through media that the incident seemed to be related to the process they were using to clean the (gas lines) pipes. As far as we could gather from the media on this they used natural gas to clean the pipes," said Wishart. "We don't do that. We clean our pipes with compressed air, just natural air that we compress and blow through the pipes to remove any debris. Then we fill the system with nitrogen, which is an inert gas that can't explode and can't ignite, it doesn't burn. When we introduce natural gas, it is only just before we are going to combust that natural gas and it's interfacing with nitrogen, so there is no oxygen in that environment and so there is no opportunity for an explosion or a fire." NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER SEEKING INFORMATION: Nora Fulcher examines some of the new information at TransCanada's Open House about its proposed power plant. TransCanada also pointed out that it is already following a number of recommendations issued by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board after the Middletown explosion. These recommendations included whenever practicable, directly venting purged gases to a safe location outdoors away from personnel and ignition sources, evacuating nonessential personnel from the vicinity of the purging, providing adequate ventilation to maintain the gas concentration at an established safe level, controlling or eliminating potential ignition sources, using combustible gas detectors to continually monitor the gas concentration at appropriate locations where purged gases are released and training personnel about the problems of odour fade and odour fatigue and warning them against relying on odour alone for detecting releases of fuel gases. With so much concern over the recent explosion in the United States, TransCanada's open house drew a large crowd of onlookers with hundreds packing the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre shortly after 7 p.m. While the open house, which was watched over by around six uniformed security guards, was intended to provide residents with the opportunity to learn about the results of the Draft Environmental Review Report and ask questions, it was clear many in the room had already made up their minds on the issue with a number of red `Stop the Power Plant' buttons sported by residents. One C4CA member said they would have brought picket signs, but were told they would not be allowed into the open house if they did so. Reviews from those attending the open house were mixed. "I think the whole thing is an abomina- tion," said John Taylor, area resident. "I think it is ridiculous for them to be building something like that so close to people. I don't think it should be anywhere in this airshed or this area. It should be in Nanticoke where people are quite happy to have generating stations." Don Jack, of Maple Grove Avenue, said the open house actually eased his concerns about the proposed height of the power plant, which at about 28 metres, would not create the colossal eyesore he feared. "They meet or exceed all the other criteria," he said. "It was just the appearance of the plant I was worried about." In addition to having safety concerns Hyatt also attacked TransCanada for holding the open house, saying a public meeting where the audience could ask questions would have been better. She also criticized the information presented as not credible. "What's interesting about this Environmental Review Assessment by TransCanada is that it is a review run by TransCanada, completed by people hired by TransCanada, with no government oversight, with no terms of reference by the government so TransCanada is completely in control of what is said, what the report looks like and what the conclusions and recommendations are," said Hyatt. "It would be the same as my daughter writing an exam and then evaluating her own exam." HEARING AID SPECIAL RETAIL & WHOLESALE LIGHTING * $ From (Clients portion) *Some Conditions Apply 295 Up to 3 Year Service Warranty 60 DAY GUARANTEE: If after 60 days we have not provided you with the best hearing possible, we will give you your money back... 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