by Edith Cody-Rice
Enerdu, which is currently constructing a dam and powerhouse in the Mississippi River in the centre of Almonte, is appearing before Council tonight to ask for a noise by-law exemption to allow for construction on the dam and power house to continue from 7 am to 11 pm Monday through Saturday for the remainder of the winter and spring.
According to a letter from Enerdu project manager Ron Campbell to Diane Smithson, the town CAO, distributed with the council agenda, the stoplogs have moved, allowing the river to flood the power house excavation and resulting in a critical situation. Enerdu requests that an exemption to the noise bylaw in order to meet deadlines.
In fact, Enerdu has been working late into the night for some time, causing substantial discomfort to nearby residents. Mr. Campbell states that if the deadline of March 15 is not met the construction of the project will continue throughout the summers of 2017 and 2018, with heavy construction being carried out in the summer instead of this winter.
Ms. Smithson told the Millstone that the town bylaw officer, Brian McBain, has been attempting to deal with the situation. Mr. McBain stated that he was unable to comment on a particular case, but said that complaints may be made to the bylaw complaints line at 613-809-7048 or by e-mail to mles@netscape.ca.
Once a complaint is made, the bylaw officer attends to verify the complaint. If he witnesses the situation himself, he may proceed to issue a warning. If he does not witness it, he will require a statement from the complainant before proceeding.
Normally, no more than two warnings are issued before further action is taken. Under the Provincial Offences Act, the officer may issue a certificate of offence which allows the offender to simply pay a fine of up to $55 or to opt to appear in court to have the matter heard. If the offence is more serious, the officer may lay an information which could result in a trial and, if convicted, a maximum of a $5,000 fine per incident.
The Millstone will report on the results of the council meeting tomorrow.
