[VegChat] McGuinty breaks coal phase-out promise

[Edelweiss D'Andrea]

-----Original Message-----
From: cleanair-l-bounces at list.web.net
[mailto:cleanair-l-bounces at list.web.net]On Behalf Of Ontario Clean Air
Alliance
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 3:49 PM
To: cleanair-l at list.web.net
Subject: [cleanair-l] McGuinty breaks coal phase-out promise


June 13, 2006  - Today Dalton McGuinty broke his promise to phase-out
Ontario's four remaining dirty coal-fired power plants by 2009.  This is a
huge betrayal of the people of Ontario and a huge step backwards for public
health -- our coal plants kill 668 people per year in this province and cost
us billions in health costs.  Moreover, McGuinty's broken promise will
prevent Ontario from meeting its Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas emission
reduction target in 2010.

When Ernie Eves was Premier, the Government of Ontario was committed to
phasing-out all of Ontario's dirty coal-fired power plants by 2015.  As of
today, Premier McGuinty is not even committed to achieving Ernie Eves' 2015
coal-phase-out date.

According to a report issued on Friday by the Independent Electricity System
Operator (IESO), the Government was on track to achieve its goal of
phasing-out the Atikokan and Thunder Bay coal-fired power plants by 2007.
However, today the McGuinty Government cancelled its contract with Union Gas
to build a gas pipeline that would permit the conversion of the Thunder Bay
coal plant to natural gas.  As a result, the McGuinty Government appears to
have deliberately sabotaged its ability to phase-out coal-burning at the
Atikokan and Thunder Bay Generating Stations in 2007.

The McGuinty Government's "balanced" plan for Ontario's energy future
released today is all about increasing our dependence on high cost, high
risk nuclear power while continuing to rely on coal as a back-up for the
unreliable nuclear units.  The commitments to improving efficiency and
conservation in the new plan are so weak that Ontario's already excessive
electricity consumption will climb by another 10% over the next 20 years if
the plan is successful!  In other words, Premier McGuinty is running -- not
walking -- away from his commitment to create a conservation culture in
Ontario.

Despite the Liberal's window dressing, this plan is directly about
increasing our nuclear capacity by 23% from our existing installed capacity
of 11,397 MW to 14,000 MW.  Instead of investing in increased efficiency,
clean renewable power and combined heat and power, the Liberals want to
throw more money down the drain on nuclear power and ineffective end-of-pipe
scrubbers for coal plants they once promised to close -- while standing by
as the electricity productivity gap with our major competitors opens even
wider.

It's not acceptable.  We urge you to immediately phone the Premier's office
at 416-325-1941, and tell Dalton McGuinty that he has lost your confidence
on this issue.  This is an action we are requesting with deep regret, but
the fiasco of an energy plan presented today by his government leaves us
with no other choice.

Please pass this message on to your friends.

Thank you.

Jack Gibbons
Chair, Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Ontario Clean Air Alliance
402-625 Church St, Toronto M4Y 2G1
Phone: 416-926-1907 ext. 245
Fax: 416-926-1601
Email: contact at cleanairalliance.org
Website: www.cleanairalliance.org

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The Ontario Clean Air Alliance is a coalition of health, environmental and
consumer organizations, faith communities, unions, utilities, municipalities
and individuals working for cleaner air through a coal phase-out and the
shift to a renewable electricity future.  Our partner organizations
represent more than six million Ontarians.

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