Dear Editor,
I read Clair Balfour’s letter and agree the councillors should ask tough questions in Ludington. The good news is that most of the answers are already public and reassuring.
– No homes sit directly below the Ludington reservoir. The nearest houses are several kilometres away in a rural area.
– Early seepage problems were fixed decades ago with extra drains and pumps. It has operated safely ever since.
– Noise and vibration are low; the turbines are underground and neighbours rarely notice the plant.
– The site was never a military range and had no toxic contamination when it was built.
– Fish losses were high in the 1970s but were cut by more than 90% with seasonal barrier nets and screens. Lake Michigan’s fishery is still strong.
– The plant runs with about 35–40 full-time staff and created thousands of jobs during construction and the current upgrade.
– The trip is standard practice for big projects and is normally paid for by TC Energy, not taxpayers.
Visiting Ludington isn’t a junket. It’s the responsible way for councillors to see a 50-year-old pumped storage plant that works well, ask the same hard questions residents have, and bring solid answers home.
This project is still in the study phase. Nothing has been approved yet. Seeing a real, successful example with their own eyes will help our councillors make a smarter, safer decision for Meaford and Georgian Bay.
Sincerely,
Brian Johnson, A Meaford Resident Who Wants Facts First
