Colacem held an open house on Saturday, June 16, 2018, with recap presentations of the proposed cement plant followed by guided tours of its quarry and proposed cement plant site.
According to Colacem Commercial, Production and Operations Manager Alain Bernard, the goal of this initiative is to uphold the promise of transparency while giving the local residents a chance to share their top concerns.
The Colacem quarry, a few kilometres west of L’Orignal. The quarry produces raw materials used in the production of cement. This quarry is huge – the sheer magnitude of it is hard to capture through a lens. (Photo credit: Cedrik Bertrand)
From this information gathering, round-table discussions with experts will be organized and available to the public.
Bernard also stated that one of Colacem’s goals in the near future is the creation of a liaison committee comprised of community members, acting as a bridge between Colacem and citizens.
These two steps should be put in motion in autumn of of 2018.
In the meantime, Bernard confirmed that Colacem is moving forward with preparations with the OMB hearing set to begin in September. As stated in a Review article published on April 9, 2018, Champlain Township council voted against a zoning change which was needed by Colacem in order to proceed with the project, but the United Counties of Prescott-Russell, in a divided vote, approved the zoning change. Both approvals are needed in order for the project to go ahead. But in the meantime, Colacem appealed Champlain Township council’s decision and Action Champlain appealed the counties’ decision. All arguments will be heard during a single hearing, set for September 2018.
For more information on the matter, refer to Review articles “Action Champlain meets April 12 to rally support, hear from its lawyers, discuss coming OMB hearing” and “January 30: Open house on proposed cement plant hosted by Colacem”.
