VIDEO: Milton mayor remains against CN plan, won’t make deals with people’s lives

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Published January 26, 2023 at 11:07 am

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Photo by Lord of the Wings

Mayor Gord Krantz says a deal to allow a CN Modal Railyard in Milton that, hypothetically, would only kill half as many people is still a bad deal.

The decision by the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice to allow the facility to be built, near Britannia and Tremaine roads, is being appealed by the Region of Halton, which has already spent $25 million fighting the project.

“It’s already been proven that, if this goes ahead, there are detrimental health effects to that portion of the community,” said Krantz during an exclusive interview with insauga’s publisher, Khalen Iwamura.

“I only use these numbers to illustrate, but they’re saying ‘If it’s really, really bad, there might be 1,000 people who die’, and I’m being extreme now, ‘so let’s cut a deal where only 500 people are going to die.’ I want no part of that type of negotiation.”

If built, the facility would operate 24/7 and see 1,600 transport truck trips a day. A federal government review panel found it would increase exposure to air pollutants like benzo(a)pyrene, benzene and fine particulate matter that are unsafe at any level and create significant effects on air quality.

The impacted community within one kilometre includes 33,000 people, 12 schools, 2 long-term care homes and Milton District Hospital.

And that’s just CN’s plan for 400 of the 1,200 they own. It is unknown what the plan for the other 800 acres includes.

“I’m not prepared to support a half-measure. I don’t want it here, period.”

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