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New hospital to be a major emitter in town By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Emissions from the new Oakville hospital are not likely to cause significant pubic health problems despite the facility being considered a major emitter under the Town's Health Protection Air Quality Bylaw. This was the conclusion reached by Town staff in a report submitted recently to council. In the report, a consultant working on behalf of Halton Healthcare Services (HHS), estimated that on average the new Oakville hospital would emit 859.25 kilograms of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) per year, but could also emit a maximum of 983.76 kg per year. Under the Town's Health Protection Air Quality Bylaw, which came into effect Feb. 1, 2010, the new Oakville hospital's average PM 2.5 emissions alone are nearly three times above what is required to characterize it as a major emitter. The bylaw lists any facility emitting more than 300 kg of PM 2.5 annually as a major emitter and requires them to go through an application process to determine whether its operations are likely to cause public health problems. A lot rides on this application as facilities found to cause public health problems could be designated a public nuisance and refused permission to establish themselves in town. The applicant must also pay $25,000 to undergo the application process. In the case of the new Oakville hospital, modelling conducted by the applicant and verified by the Town, found that despite producing enough pollution to be considered a major emitter, the amount of pollution added to the airshed as a whole is unlikely to cause any significant health problems. "They did an analysis... that factors in air chemistry, that takes even the direct fine particular matter emissions and those emissions of other substances that through air chemistry become fine particulate matter and they put that through an analysis to determine what their emissions would be in the surrounding airshed. Then we also asked them to do a self-contamination assessment to make sure their own emissions are not causing any health issues in their own facility," said Cindy Toth, director of Environmental Policy for the Town of Oakville. "The expected increase (in PM 2.5) to ambient air concentrations is under the 0.2 micrograms per cubic metre (per year)." Toth said if the new Oakville hospital had been forecast to add more than 0.2 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic metre to the airshed per year, the facility would have been classified as something likely to cause a significant public health impact. If this happened, the hospital would then have to make a case before council as to why it is so important to the community that it should be allowed to take root despite the health risk it poses from its emissions. As the hospital is not expected to cause significant health problems, council gave it the green light to proceed. Council has asked HHS to provide the Town a written annual report outlining the facility's operational data, emissions rates and more once it is constructed. The application report said the primary sources of PM 2.5 in the new Oakville hospital would be diesel-fired emergency generators, natural gas-fired boilers, and cooling towers. The new Oakville hospital, to be located at 3000 Third Line, will replace the Reynolds Street OakvilleTrafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) in 2015. 7 · Wednesday, November 21, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com We have, for the tenth year in a row been awarded the First Place Diamond Award by the Oakville Beaver in the categories of Incorporation Services, Tax Planning and Preparation Services and Business Advisory Services. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TEN YEARS IN A ROW If You Earn In Excess Of $20,000 Per Year And Are Not Incorporated, You Are Paying Too Much Income Tax. INCORPORATION SERVICES CALL THE INCORPORATORS NOW FOR A FREE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR CORPORATE AND PERSONAL INCOME TAX PLANNING SITUATION AT 905-469-8777 THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS JUST HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN SAVE THROUGH INCORPORATION.... Net Income Personal Income Tax Corporate Income Tax Income Tax Savings Bullying forum for parents A recent survey that showed almost 40 per cent of Grade 7 students in Halton had been bullied, has prompted Our Kids Network to hold a forum called Debunking Myths about Bullying. It will be held Thursday (Nov. 22) from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Space is limited. To register, call Halton Region at 905-825-6000 or e-mail accesshalton@halton.ca. Results of the 2009/2010 Halton Youth Survey showed 39 per cent of Grade 7 students and 28 per cent of Grade 10 students surveyed had been bullied. "It's no secret bullying leaves lasting effects," said Elena DiBattista, director of Our Kids Network, a Haltonwide partnership of organizations and agencies serving children and youths. "This is a complex issue and we continue to encourage families and organizations involved with children and youths to work together as a community to prevent bullying in all its forms." Organized by Our Kids Network's Bullying Prevention Committee, the event features the University of Ottawa's Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, a clinical psychologist and leader in children's mental health and violence prevention. Vaillancourt focuses on bullying, victimization and aggression. "Parents need resources to help them understand, prevent, and address bullying," DiBattista said. "The partners on our Bullying Prevention Committee established this forum to give parents information and real-life tools and strategies to help their children, whether they are being bullied, are engaging in bullying, or are bystanders to bullying." 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 3,277 9,319 16,095 22,712 31,117 39,799 48,750 3,100 6,200 9,300 12,400 15,500 18,600 21,700 177 3,119 6,795 10,312 15,617 21,199 27,050 ....AND THIS IS BEFORE WE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE CLAIMED EVERY POSSIBLE DEDUCTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE PAYING THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF INCOME TAX POSSIBLE? ADVISORY COMMITTED TO REDUCING THE INCOME TAXES THAT YOU PAY www.thetaxadvisory.ca THE TAX INCORPORATORSTM COMMITTED TO INCORPORATING YOUR COMPANY THE RIGHT WAY THE FIRST TIME www.theincorporators.ca THE ADVISORY COMMITTED TO MAKING YOUR BUSINESS A SUCCESS www.thebusinessadvisory.ca THE BUSINESS SERVING SMALL AND HOME BASED BUSINESSES FOR OVER 30 YEARS