Committee member (public) JD Brown –“I motion to defer this. I would like to see a new council decide on this.”
Planning Committee Chair Jim Alyea “Okay, it’s been moved and seconded. Deferral, there’s no further debate. All in favor? Carried, unanimous. Thank you.”
“We’re not using any water in this facility. It’s a closed-loop system. I’ve seen comments that we would start off that way and then we would convert and start using the municipal water. Completely false.”
An overflow crowd spoke in opposition of the project for nearly two hours, regarding potential noise, vibration, and frequency emission, environmental impacts and strains on the power grid.
Chantal (no last name given) from Belleville spoke against the project.
“How many people in this room do not want this data centre under any circumstances? Show of hands. How many people will absolutely vote out every single one of you who approve this data centre? Show of hands.”
“A number of municipalities because of some of those concerns, and especially any jurisdiction especially in the States that is seeing this kind of thing develop, have decided in some cases to delay decisions like those that you’re asked to make tonight and that city council will eventually have to make, until more is known. At least slow down the whole process until the public, if nothing else, can be properly informed.”
Bouchard also spoke to the sound and hydro concerns.
“I know that there’s the houses that are across the river (Trent River) and so we have, if everything was running full tilt, 37 is the number of the dB on the outside of the home, and so you cannot hear that. In regards to the power, there’s more surplus abandoned capacity at the substation. The mill alone has 15 MW not being used. Then I know Hydro One has another 15 or so MW sitting in that substation, and more on top of that.”
Quinte Economic Development is in favour of the project, as is staff with the City of Quinte West. STORY HERE
The staff report can be seen by CLICKING HERE
You can see the meeting below
