Editor,
Re: No Need to Write a Book About Water and Toxic Chemicals
I do thank a fellow contributor for providing a rather long essay regarding what he feels is unnecessary water testing. My short answer is that the existence of toxins from farmers one hundred years ago and/or toxins from the 4-CDTC operations over the past 80-plus years must be investigated. Some “academia” care for water safety in Bruce Grey and Georgian Bay. Others and TCE not so much. The simple answer as to “why bother” is that with the massive construction activities that this pumped storage project will require could cause the release of some of these toxins into our local watershed(s). Construction Vibration from blasting and excavating, daily filling and emptying the reservoir once operational will stress the local limestone (karst topography) for 50 to 100 years can have serious effects on the structural integrity of the project area: hence the release of buried toxins to the aquifer below and Georgian Bay. Engineers have done studies** that show the stability of local Niagara Escarpment dolomite limestone geologic structure is susceptible to such activities **(Hunter and Associates May 2024).
I have provided more than enough proof over the past few years that this project when compared to more modern alternative energy storage systems just does not measure up. Pumped Storage works; I do not question that. I do prove it is no longer a feasible solution, here is a summary of why:
a) See the Hunter and Associates review from 2024: It raises serious concerns on all PSP options.
b) Make note the IESO has twice rejected the project as having no value to Ontario.
c) It is possible to use Excess Quebec Hydro for a storage option, but this is not the best option.
d) BESS: with battery storage I must point out (AGAIN) that other contributors to this newspaper have no reason to worry about what they feel are unnecessary water testing. Battery storage makes this need go away. It also makes all complex construction necessary for PSP go away. It makes the need to displace some of the 4-CDTC go away. It makes the need to run high power transmission lines 100 km across Georgian Bay to Stayner go away. It makes the ridiculous costs of 7 billion dollars go away (cut in half to about 3 $billion based on a comparable 1000MW system over a 50-year timeline). It makes the need to build such a project on the Niagara escarpment go away: BESS can be built anywhere. The people living below this proposed project, the people our council are elected to protect will have their worries such as structure failure and insurance challenges and go away. Finally, some of our council members worries about getting elected next year will go away!
Pat Maloney, Meaford
