Editor,
Letters to the Editor in the October 13, 2022 issue of the Meaford Independent illustrate that a few people do not understand what the TCE Project is about and how it will or will not affect their lives in Meaford.
If they had done the research that I have performed, they would understand that a large number of ‘Pumped Storage Projects’ are operating in a closed circuit on dormant Open Pits and old underground Mines, with the exception of the one in Minnesota. That operation has been around for a couple of decades, and has been the one single reason why the local Fishery there, died. It continues to operate after having shut down the fishery because of the destruction of the adult fish population. Recently, there has been a new application by Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency for a new ‘Pumped Storage’ project Filed Date: 08/19/2022.
Here in Meaford, the TCE Project will mash the fish as they are drawn into the gigantic turbines that will run day & night. In addition, the constant ebb & flow of water will stir up the lake bottom sediments which also contain heavy metals and bacteria. This ‘plume’ of ‘dirty water’ will reach far into the Bay, contaminating drinking water (Meaford takes it’s drinking water from the Bay). The fact that TCE now say they plan to move the Turbines into deeper water confirms that the fish-kill will be rampant for this project as will the generation of water contaminated by silt/bacteria/heavy metals. Does the Municipality of Meaford want to build a new water treatment plant just to offset the hazardous contamination from the TCE Project? I doubt that taxpayers will support that kind of expenditure just to allow TCE to run their Pumped Storage Project using the waters from Georgian Bay.
There is a move afoot to use old Mines for Pumped Storage Energy generation.
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) Using Abandoned Mine Pits on the Mesabi Iron Range of Minnesota – Final Report, 2011 by Fosnacht, Donald R from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Also, there is a good video on “The future of energy storage in Minnesota” with input by 4 qualified individuals from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Environment. Reference: https://youtu.be/EORHKFMW8MA
The question is, why haven’t TCE looked at that aspect of using abandoned Mines?
Why pick a pristine lake like Lake Huron to implement their project? Was it because they did not have to submit to Ontario’s environmental laws since it was on Federal land(DND) at the Meaford Canadian Forces base? Ah, the plot thickens!
To the union representative expressing support for the TCE Project, he does not understand that the TCE Project will not employ any more than a dozen (12) people with Turbine operating experience to run & maintain the pumping facility. Even in construction, the project will need specialists in the construction & installation of those turbine facilities – the reality is, Meaford does not have people with that experience, the manpower will come from other places, even outside of Ontario.
Energy Storage is now a prime topic in the Energy production industry, and it is not by Pumped Storage – it is by huge Lithium-ion batteries . The use of these batteries eliminates Pumped Storage as a means of storing energy. Storing excess electrical energy from current operations like hydro and wind Generation as well as solar, is still developing, so why would anyone invest today in Pumped Storage costing $4 billion and ongoing ramifications and with the prospect of becoming outdated in the near future? Pumped Storage is an old technology that lacks the ability to be efficient (75%), relying instead on the difference between electricity Day/Night rates.
This alone leads to the conclusion that should the hydro rates change (and they will), the TCE Project will become dormant and remain as a symbol of short-sightedness by a company that has not planned for the future.
Louis M Bernard, P.Eng., M.Eng., B.Eng., Meaford
Mining and Processing Specialist
