Incompetence, Ignorance or Scam
One would have to be incompetent, ignorant or corrupt to not know that building an industry next to a nature preserve is fundamentally wrong. With that said I feel there is a scam being perpetrated on the people of Oshawa, Durham Region and all Taxpayers by the federal gov't and individuals with a vested interest to build an Ethanol plant in the backyard of an unwilling host (there is a willing host).I've done some research, the farm equipment required to plant the corn doesn't run on ethanol, the trucks that truck the corn and fuel don't run on ethanol, growing corn depletes the land, tying the price of fuel to food will drive up the cost of corn and fructose corn syrup (packaged prepared foods). As far as I can tell the major reason it is legislated in the U.S. is to save the gov't money by not having to pay farmers subsidies for not growing corn.
Why is that municipal, provincial, state and federal governments spend a fortune re-mediating waterfronts from industrialization that our government Transport Canada (Port Authority) wants to industrialize next to a provincial park and recreational waterfront?
To Quote Transport Canada,
Recommendations for the Future of Oshawa Harbour, Report by The Honourable David Crombie, P.C., O.C. February 21, 2008
Gifford Farm Lands
“The so-called Gifford Farm Lands provide a valuable physical barrier separating and, in effect, containing the industrial activities of the Port of Oshawa to the west from the environmentally sensitive marshlands to the east, known as Second Marsh.
The City should be mindful of the importance of that buffer-zone role in preserving a balanced waterfront, when considering the possible benefit of future development of these lands.”
The city of Oshawa is mindful of the importance ‘of that buffer zone’ rather those that were responsible for the report, Transport Canada (Port Authority) that is mindless.
Still not sure if its incompetence, ignorance or scam? Check out the following:
The first link is to Olivia Chow's appeal to the Ethics Commissioner to probe the procedure - the commissioner didn't see any collusion even though Farm Tech sits on the Port Authority board. The second link is to a story that broke in the U.S. about scamming the system RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) for ethanol credits which were falsified and never delivered. The third link is for the original story from CBC about a train load of ethanol being repeatedly shipped back and forth without ever being unloaded with the knowing participation of CNR.
1. www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/09/19/pol-oshawa-port-ethanol-flaherty-ethics-commissioner.html
2. www.testosteronepit.com/home/2012/12/20/the-biofuel-subsidy-scams.html
3. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/12/19/mystery-biodiesel-train-credits.html
Is it possible in the wake of the gas plant fiasco in Oakville that this is all a scam which will cost tax payers another fortune to not go ahead with the project? Is it preventable?
Is it incompetence, ignorance or scam? I fear the worst, all three.
