For immediate release:
July 30, 2007

Barrett calls latest agricultural energy announcement ‘small potatoes’
McGuinty Government still refuses to install clean-air technology at Nanticoke

Simcoe—MPP Toby Barrett renewed his call for Dalton McGuinty to clean up the Nanticoke power plant, after reading the latest small-scale energy announcement last week.

“Last week’s announcement was designed to make people feel good, but won’t dent the 70 per cent increase Dalton McGuinty has promised for our electricity bills,” Barrett said.  “Nine million dollars isn’t much after we pay for the feasibility studies and the consultants.”

The Ontario Biogas Systems Financial Assistance Program was announced on July 26, 2007.  It promises to fund 70 per cent of the eligible costs of carrying out a feasibility study, and 40 per cent of eligible construction and implementation costs.  

“There’s no doubt that we need to consider cleaner ways of generating electricity, and it’s about time this government stopped ignoring farmers,” Barrett said.  “But this really is a small potatoes announcement that will do little to alleviate the crises in our agricultural and energy sectors.

“There is obviously lots of tax money floating around Queen’s Park,” Barrett concluded.  “Yet Dalton McGuinty wants to burn coal for at least 11 years at Nanticoke, without investing in technology that would dramatically improve our environment.”

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or
1-800-903-8629