Reality check

Dear editor:
“The Township of Emo is committed to actively seeking and encouraging new development that maintains the quality of life, maintains or improves the health of existing businesses, and diversifies the economy.”
This statement is taken from the objectives in the Township of Emo’s official plan.
One must ask, how does building an abattoir in Emo maintain our quality of life? Our quality of life will be greatly diminished if this abattoir goes ahead in its current proposed location.
In our township’s official plan under land use compatibility, it states the encroachment of sensitive land uses and industrial uses on one another is discouraged, and that adverse effects such as noise, odour, and other contaminants should be subject to buffering and separation distances in accordance with MoE guidelines.
Again, one must ask is 250 feet enough separation distance between this abattoir and a residential area? Is 25 feet enough separation distance between the abattoir and recreational areas?
According to our town plan, the separation should be 300 metres (975 feet). According to the business plan submitted by the RRDRAI, there is not a residential area within 300 metres (975 feet) of the abattoir site when, in reality, the residential area is just 250 feet from the site—and there are at least 43 homes that are within 300 metres of the site.
Another issue surrounding this abattoir site is the use of our municipal water supply. In the summer months, we are required—under threat of fines—to reduce our water consumption because our supply is low.
The average home uses 450 litres of water per person, per day. Therefore, a family of four would use 1,800 litres per day.
According to MoE water consumption figures, an abattoir will use 1,700 litres of water per cow processed. If 20 animals are processed each day, that adds up to 34,000 litres per day.
To put it in simple terms, the abattoir will use as much water per day as 19 four-person households.
We were told at three separate meetings that the abattoir would only use 4,000 litres per day, and this was not corrected until Emo resident contacted the MoE and questioned the figures. It is amazing how one can skew numbers to their own advantage.
Are the residents of Emo going to have to cut back on their water consumption even further to accommodate the massive amounts of water the abattoir will use? (Maybe we can all shower on alternate days so the abattoir will have enough water).
Meanwhile, the water that goes into the abattoir eventually will flow into our lagoon. Do we have the capacity to allow this massive amount of water consumption considering the fact there are two unfinished subdivisions (which will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue per year for the community), which should be given priority over the abattoir for the use of town water?
The people in these subdivisions all will spend money in Emo on property tax, groceries, gasoline, clothing, building supplies, and hardware. Allowing the abattoir to use our town water supply would be like adding 76 people to our system who essentially are dead weight.
The costs to our community for this abattoir will far outweigh the benefits that an abattoir could bring.
Our water supply and our lagoon capacity are not endless. If the abattoir goes ahead, it will diminish the ability of our town to grow. The sewer and water system only can accommodate a certain number of homes and the abattoir will severely reduce that number.
The people of this town have been led to believe this abattoir is a done deal. We have been kept in the dark and repeatedly dismissed, and all of us have been grossly misled.
Well, it is not a done deal!
I have written several letters to the editor and other agencies voicing my concerns on, and objections to, this abattoir being built near our homes.
These letters all stem from the frustration I feel over the lack of willingness of our town council to really listen to the concerns of our citizens and act on them to protect the quality of life that we currently enjoy as residents of this town.
Signed,
Brenda Hartlin,
Emo, Ont.