Hamilton votes: McHattie takes aggressive stance against gasification plant

Mayoral candidate Brian McHattie has come out swinging against a proposed gasification plant on Hamiltons waterfront.

McHattie, who is running against Stoney Creek councillor Brad Clark and former mayor Fred Eisenberger, has issued a media release denouncing a proposed waste treatment plant in Ward 3.

In it, he takes aim at former mayor and Eisenberger supporter Larry DiIanni, and the proposed plant on Pier 15, planned by the U.S.-based Leveraged Green Technologies (LGT).

While I want jobs, I will never put the addition of a few dozen jobs over the health of our residents and of their families. Never, McHattie said.

We need to raise the bar on the types of industries we welcome to our city and we also need to work with our provincial partners to get touch on polluters in our community.

LGT proposes a 20-year lease for a waste-to-energy plant on Port Authority lands. It would create 30 to 50 jobs. The project requires numerous federal and provincial approvals, but LGT still hasnt acknowledged that it requires zoning approval from the city.

The plant would use gas plasma technology with extremely high temperatures to break down waste into its atomic elements and turn it into a gas that can be used in engines and turbines, or as a substitute for natural gas.

LGT has no experience building a facility of this size, McHattie said.

He also hasnt been assured that the plant would only take waste from within Hamilton, he said.

• RELATED:Morrow changes tune on waterfront waste-to-energy plant

I dont want Hamilton to become known as the waste treatment capital of the Golden Horseshoe, which is effectively what this plant would do. Look, Im all for using new technologies to deal with environmental issues, but I dont want those same technologies to add to a problem we still havent fixed.

Hamiltons mayoral candidates answered a question about the waste treatment facility at a Ward 3 debate last week. Eisenberger said it would have to use clean technology. If it did, it might have a positive environmental impact bydiverting waste from landfill.

Clark said the city has no authority over the project other than the zoning, which LGT could challenge at the Ontario Municipal Board anyway.

McHattie pointed out that DiIanni has been part of LGTs own public relations as a paid lobbyist. DiIanni has endorsed Eisenberger.

Its hard to know how that plays out in terms of positions that Fred takes or what influence Larry has, he said. But its a fact and I want people to know.

CBC Hamilton is pursuing comment from Clark and Eisenberger.

McHattie has taken a more aggressive stance in the campaign in recent days, eagerto differentiate himself after an earlier poll showed him trailing behind Eisenberger and Clark. Hes also sunk campaign resources into billboards, particularly ineast Hamilton and on the Mountain.

All three candidates will participate in a Ward 2 debate hosted by the Durand Neighbourhood Association Monday night. The event will also include Ward 2 council candidates and school board trustees. The event starts at 7 p.m. in the YWCA auditorium. CBC Hamilton will attend and reporter Samantha Craggs will tweet at @SamCraggsCBC.

Candidate media releases:

• Teresa DiFalco, Ward 10 candidate: 10 ways of reducing taxes and improving services (PDF)
• Toby Yuell, Ward 13 candidate, releases her platform (PDF)
• Marie Robbins, Ward 9 candidate, "A Deluge of Problems"