It is not known when a Ministry of Environment review of the Ontario government's earlier environmental approval of a controversial natural gas-fired power plant on the Etobicoke-Mississauga border will be concluded.
Construction on the 280-megawatt plant in the Dixie Road-Dundas Street West area began a month ago, despite the environment minister's pledge to review the government's 2008 approval.
Residents have been demanding a decision before the Oct. 6 provincial election.
The ministry would not say Monday whether an option remains for the minister to kill the plant.
"We're still in the process of undertaking the review to look at the original approval conditions in 2008," Ministry of Environment spokesperson Kate Jordan said Monday, Sept. 19. "Certainly, we heard residents concerns, that is the reason why we agreed to undertake the review and given the fact there have been land use changes such as the new (Sherway) condos since the approval was granted."
Last Thursday, hundreds of frustrated residents rallied in protest of the plant Eastern Power Ltd. is building near the Etobicoke Creek, Trillium Health Centre's Etobicoke hospital, Dorothy Ley Hospice, Sherway Gardens mall and two condo towers.
"Our message needs to be: "(Premier) Dalton McGuinty, you've got to cancel this plant!" CHIP (Coalition of Homeowners for Intelligent Power) interim chair Greg Rohn told residents at the Sept. 15 CHIP rally against construction of the Greenfield South Power Plant at Le Treport Convention Centre.
The ministry has asked Eastern Power for an update on both its air and noise emissions modelling, Jordan said. The company is cooperating with the review, she said.
"It's too early to speculate on when the review will be complete or what the outcome may be," Jordan said, when asked if the minister could still scrap the plant.
Last fall, the McGuinty government scrapped a 900-megawatt project planned for Oakville after residents rose up in opposition and fought it.