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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, July 30, 2009 · 8 Officials at work to stop plant Continued from page 3 struction of a power plant that will impact on the ambient air quality in the Clarkson airshed area. Along with Carr, Mayor Rob Burton urged residents to keep up the pressure on the provincial government by writing letters to express their opposition. He added that Town council has passed an amendment to the Town's Official Plan to ban power plants larger than the small facility already on the Ford property and is determined to keep up its opposition to the proposed power plant. "A grotesquely-flawed Ontario Power Authority process is underway and we're going to stop it," he promised. Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, who serves as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of the Environment, told residents that his role with the Ministry has severely limited his ability to be publicly involved in protests against the plan. However, he said that local leaders have asked him to stay in the job and work as part of a team to ensure a power plant doesn't come to Oakville. "I will stand and be held accountable for the outcome of this, and I will continue to work within the MOE to ensure the outcome is what my community wants," Flynn added. Although many of the residents at the rally were from the east Oakville area, it also attracted Denise Thompson, whose family lives near Bronte Road and Dundas Street. She said she has been following the power plant issue with concern. "When it comes to emissions, it's not just next door you have to worry about." TransCanada was represented at the rally, but did not speak, according to James Millar, who heads up the company's corporate communications. According to Millar who offered comment in the wake of the rally, "Our project can only proceed if we satisfy the standards laid out by Ontario's Minister of the Environment, such as air and noise requirements." If TransCanada is selected, it will complete an environmental review report, which will be available for public review and comment this fall. TransCanada would pay municipal taxes annually and contribute to community programs if it built the plant. In terms of employment, approximately 600 construction jobs would be created during a period of about 28 months, and 25 permanent jobs would be created. There would also be significant spending on goods and services including food, lodging and supplies.