Sherway (Greenfield South) Power Plant

[Jarrek]

There's a 280MW gas power plant under construction in Mississauga which will affect Toronto's air quality. The closest homes, are located about 100 meters from the power plant site. Not the greatest location for a power plant.

Plant Chronology: http://www.miranet.ca/docs/Greenfield_South_chronology_July_2011.PDF

CHIP Canada Site: http://www.chipcanada.org/

2005 Letter from Toronto's Medical Officer of Health opposing the project: http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/pdf/greenfieldProject.pdf

Petition against the Power Plant: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Stop-the-Queensway-Power-Plant/

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/StopTheSherwayPowerPlant

 

[bigdaddyhame]

how will it affect Toronto's air quality, specifically?

 

[CDL.TO]

Google Map of location:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=loreland+ave+mississauga+on&hl=en&gl=ca&t=h&z=16

Map from CHIP website:

 

[TrickyRicky]

I can't comment on this power plant or it's emissions. But historically powerplants etc. were purposely placed on the Eastern end of a municipality precisely because of air-quality. In general prevailing winds go from west to east. Coincidentally property prices are often lower in the east end of North American cities.

 

[TOareaFan]

I have the same thoughts about this that I had when a co-worker from Oakville was going on and on about stopping their gas plant (which they were successful with)....if we can't build these things in established industrial parks/areas/zones....where can we build them?

The group there used the same issue....."yes it is an industrial zone but the closest houses are only 'x km/m away' ".......maybe the issue is how close we build houses to heavy industry....not the other way around?

Perhaps all the communities who fight these things off (recognizing that we have to generate electricity somewhere...just not where they live) would be willing to pay a surcharge on their bills for the added cost of getting them the power for their a/c units once we do find the community willing to let the thing be built.

 

[Jarrek]

I'm aware that power has to be generated somewhere. That being said, placing power generating facilities in densely populated urban areas is just wrong. Our air quality is stressed enough as it is, due to many other factors.

Nanticoke is an option. The coal power plant will most likely be shut down within the next few years, and there exists a perfect opportunity to retrofit the plant for gas powered generation. The town of Nanticoke even supports such plans, and their mayor has publicly stated they would be in support of any such plans. Youtube Video on the Nanticoke Solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exkk-I9YGDI

@bigdaddyham 231,000 tonnes of CO2, 20 tonnes of Sulphur Oxides, 84 tonnes of Nitrous Oxides + Minimal levels of Mercury Annually into the GTA Airshed - And this is based on operating yearly hours of 25% as per http://www.marklandwood.org/Eastern...creening_and_Review_Report_and_Appendix_A.pdf

It's the equivalent of putting 45,000 additional cars on the road just based just on the CO2 emissions.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I'm aware that power has to be generated somewhere. That being said, placing power generating facilities in densely populated urban areas is just wrong. Our air quality is stressed enough as it is, due to many other factors.

Nanticoke is an option. The coal power plant will most likely be shut down within the next few years, and there exists a perfect opportunity to retrofit the plant for gas powered generation. The town of Nanticoke even supports such plans, and their mayor has publicly stated they would be in support of any such plans. Youtube Video on the Nanticoke Solution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exkk-I9YGDI

@bigdaddyham 231,000 tonnes of CO2, 20 tonnes of Sulphur Oxides, 84 tonnes of Nitrous Oxides + Minimal levels of Mercury Annually into the GTA Airshed - And this is based on operating yearly hours of 25% as per http://www.marklandwood.org/Eastern...creening_and_Review_Report_and_Appendix_A.pdf

It's the equivalent of putting 45,000 additional cars on the road just based just on the CO2 emissions.

Given the fact that Nanticoke is shutting down (getting rid of all those coal-fired emissions), what's the net negative CO2? Because this plant, and Oakville, and the one near us in the Portlands, are being built to get rid of the coal-fired Nanticoke station. Also, quite frankly, why should the burghers of Nanticoke continue to breathe emissions so you don't have to do so in Mississauga? Isn't it about time for Mississauga to shoulder its share of the burden?

 

[nfitz]

how will it affect Toronto's air quality, specifically?

Overall it should improve as it's replacing coal generation, but the hot air from the Nimby's nearby may cause some localized variations.

 

[jeicow]

Isn't it about time for Mississauga to shoulder its share of the burden?

Mississauga had Lakeview for 40+ years, and I believe a power plant at Pearson opened over the past few years. This plant will pump emissions into the same neighborhoods that just got their air back from Lakeview.

 

[doady]

Given the fact that Nanticoke is shutting down (getting rid of all those coal-fired emissions), what's the net negative CO2? Because this plant, and Oakville, and the one near us in the Portlands, are being built to get rid of the coal-fired Nanticoke station. Also, quite frankly, why should the burghers of Nanticoke continue to breathe emissions so you don't have to do so in Mississauga? Isn't it about time for Mississauga to shoulder its share of the burden?

Er, wasn't the Lakeview coal plant located in Mississauga? Maybe it was located somewhere in Etobicoke or Oakville or something.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Er, wasn't the Lakeview coal plant located in Mississauga? Maybe it was located somewhere in Etobicoke or Oakville or something.

My apologies for mis-locating Lakeview. But... doesn't that make my point? They've shut down a huge coal-fired plant and they're building a smaller gas-fired plant, so y'all are in much better shape and still get electrons buzzing through the wires. Hurray!

 

[doady]

My apologies for mis-locating Lakeview. But... doesn't that make my point? They've shut down a huge coal-fired plant and they're building a smaller gas-fired plant, so y'all are in much better shape and still get electrons buzzing through the wires. Hurray!

What you said was:

"Isn't it about time for Mississauga to shoulder its share of the burden?"

...which is just dumb considering the history of coal-fired generating plants in Mississauga.

 

[Dan416]

What you said was:

"Isn't it about time for Mississauga to shoulder its share of the burden?"

...which is just dumb considering the history of coal-fired generating plants in Mississauga.

Agreed.

Mississauga did it's fair share of power generation with Lakeview.

 

[nfitz]

Mississauga did it's fair share of power generation with Lakeview.

So why should it get a free ride now? If we can put gas stations near downtown Toronto, we can put one in the burbs. I'm sure all the whiny Nimbys will object to this, but the generation of fumes for this is nothing, compared to the automobiles that those in the suburbs seem to use in such great numbers. I bet it's not even equivalent to 50,000 vehicles in a city with millions of people.

 

[jeff316]

The difficulty with this plant is its location, in the sense that location-wise it's actually relatively well-placed - industrial corridor, near a highway, not smack-dab in the middle of a residential area. If you can't place this one here, where can you place it?

The 45 000 car argument is a bit lame considering these residences are almost as close to the QEW and the 427 and their residents don't seem to have a problem with that convenient selling feature...wait...I mean, source of air pollution. Hmmmmmm

Sure, there are houses near the site, but that's almost a given regardless of where this would be sited in the GTA. That's just one of the downsides of living in the city, hopefully made up by the other upsides.

I'm aware that power has to be generated somewhere. That being said, placing power generating facilities in densely populated urban areas is just wrong. Our air quality is stressed enough as it is, due to many other factors.

Just not near you, I guess.

Placing energy-generating facilities in densely populated areas isn't "just wrong" - it's a necessity. We can't dump everything unsightly or inconvenient out on rural Ontario. "Place it at Nanticoke" - I'm sure if you lived in Nanticoke this wouldn't be a problem? Yep, no wonder there is such an urban-rural divide.

Would I want this right by my house? About as much as I wanted the local steel mills whose pollution used to stain the siding of my childhood home (thanks, superstack!), or the homeless shelter that's 100 m from my current front door, or the stupid infill development across the street proposed by a neighbour who is getting every variance they can to sever their garage to build two three-storey townhouses that will tower over the old houses and garages of our neighbourhood, or the bus that used to idle just outside my old apartment window bi-hourly for 20 minutes from midnight through six. That's life in the city. Yep, it sucks and I feel for you but this is NIMBYism pure and simple.