(TC Energy image)
Meaford is planning on providing regular updates on the proposed TC Energy Pumped Storage project.
This is the latest after Meaford approved establishing the Pumped Storage Advisory Committee (PSAC) last month.
Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney says the municipality received over 30 applications to join the PSAC, which will examine the benefits and impacts of hosting the major project.
“To see that level of interest is just really incredible. We held three full days of interviews, we had a few dropouts, so in the end we interviewed 27 people and I can tell you without a doubt, that absolutely everyone of them would have been a good candidate for this committee,” says Keaveney.
The committee will have nine members who have varying opinions on the project as well as two non-voting council members, including Keaveney and Coun. Harley Greenfield.
“TCE is not a member of this committee. They are welcome to attend and sit in the audience, the same anyone else is because these meetings are open to the public. TCE will be engaged to provide updates to the committee, to answer questions from the committee as needed,” says Keaveney.
Keaveney says while they have not seen the entire work plan yet, the terms of reference for the committee indicate the group will talk with various experts.
“This committee will be really well informed. Assuming the project goes forward, and we have to work under that premise at the moment, they will be doing environmental assessments, and we will bring subject matter experts in to speak to the group to better understand what those processes involve. We are likely to do some tours, a tour of the site and perhaps a tour of another pumped storage facility. There will be public engagement involved. We want the community to be really participant in this process,” says Keaveney.
Keaveney says the committee meetings will be planned for the second Thursday of every month, and people are welcome to attend either in person or virtually.
“You can ask questions or provide presentations in the same way that you can to a council meeting,” says Keaveney.
The suggested members of the new PSAC will be discussed during a closed meeting of council on Monday.
The committee members will be formally appointed to the role on April 29, with the first meeting set for May 9.