An Ontario Municipal Board hearing that was set to begin on September 4 and would hear appeals pertaining to a proposed Colacem Canada cement plant outside L’Orignal has been delayed indefinitely, reported The Review.
The hearing was to last for 24 days and hear the appeal of Action Champlain – a local citizens group that opposes the Colacem project – against the United Counties of Prescott-Russell’s approval of a zoning change, which would allow the proposed plant to proceed. Likewise, Colacem’s appeal of Champlain Township’s decision to not approve the zoning change was to be heard at the same time.
Recent legislative changes eliminated the Ontario Municipal Board, replacing it with the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. However, since the appeals related to the cement plant were filed before the change, they will be heard before the OMB. Vice-Chair Richard Makuch was to preside at the hearing but a “sudden and unforeseen personal circumstance” left him unable to be present. No other bilingual member was available for the five-week hearing.
The proposed plant will have the capacity to produce 3,000 metric tons of clinker per day, with an estimated annual production of 1.16 million metric tons of cement.
