http://www.saultstar.com/2017/12/01/romano-pushes-to-educate-public-on-ferrochrome

Ross Romano

MPP Ross Romano says he will unveil a plan to educate the community on what a ferrochrome processing plant will mean to Sault Ste. Marie in the new year.

Romano said he is establishing a committee to focus on how to develop a proper education strategy to ensure the community understands what a processing facility would mean to Sault Ste. Marie and relieve residents’ concerns on health and safety issues.

He plans on hosting a series of town hall meetings to create an educational awareness and develop a level of support in the community.

Romano made the announcement at the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce breakfast Friday where he was the guest speaker.

The declaration came as a surprise to Tom Vair, the city’s deputy CAO of community development and enterprise services, who is one of the city-appointed leads on the project.

Vair said the committee is busy preparing the documentation in response to a request for information requested by Noront to meet a Feb. 2 submission deadline.

Sault Ste. Marie is one of four Northern Ontario cities who want to be home to the ferrochrome plant and has been asked to submit documentation on a number of factors, including the availability and location of land, power services, transportation and workforce among other things.

The community engagement portion has been earmarked to follow after that documentation has been submitted, once Noront finalizes the type of plant with the specific component it wants to build, Vair said.

“We don’t have all the information needed to have that conversation with the community, in part because Noront hasn’t fully decided on all the components and the technology,” Vair said.

The details, he said, will follow once the base requirements are established and Noront determines what it wants to build.

Vair said in fact, the city wants to work with the elected officials on the project. “I hope we can still do that.”

He said a meeting had already been scheduled for next Friday with Romano and MP Terry Sheehan.

“I’m sure this will be part of that conversation,” Vair said.

The city’s drive to diversify the economy and bring a plant of this magnitude to Sault Ste. Marie will be incredibly important to create good paying jobs for the future, Romano said.

While recent work to submit a bid for the city to be a second headquarters to online retail giant Amazon garnered incredible recognition for the city, “this bid cannot be any less. In fact, we need to raise the bar, shoot higher,” Romano said. “The time is now to develop our community awareness plan.”

Romano said he’s been building relationships with Noront executive since he was elected last June and has worked hard to bring parties together to create a level of assurance that they will be able to lease lands on Algoma property after the CCAA process is completed.

“We have an opportunity in front of us right now that can bring good paying jobs to our community. This is not a pie-in-the-sky opportunity,” he said.

Romano said it’s imperative to Noront that the community they choose to build the processing plant is supportive of it.

“This company cares a great deal about their reputation,” he said. “Quite frankly, they want to be wanted.”

But Romano said he’s concerned that that community support drive has not yet begun and believes it is a critical piece to be the successful proponent for the ferrochrome facility.

He said a grassroots committee has already started raising environmental and health and safety concerns.

While he applauds that group for asking the questions, Romano wants to make sure their concerns are alleviated and that can only be done if the community works together, he charges.

“We need to focus on how we can ensure we develop a proper education strategy and support we need,” he said.

Vair said he understands that some residents will have concerns about the proposed processing facility and the city will do its part to reach out to them and answer their questions.

“We will reach out to them to let them know where we are in the process and engage with them,” Vair said. “They will have an opportunity to learn more about it. At the end of the day, there are people that are against these things no matter what it is or no matter what you do and you’re not going to change their minds but the responsible thing to do is to have the facts at the table and have the conversation about those facts.”

Romano has faith in provincial environmental standards and believes the community deserves answers to questions but noted Ontario is a highly regulated province with the highest environmental and health and safety thresholds.

“Do not let yourself be governed by fears of what we do not know,” he said. The ferrochrome plant “will not happen anywhere if it can’t be handled in a safe manner.”

Romano said the PCs vow to develop the Ring of Fire and engage in discussions with the federal government to develop a cost-sharing formula to move that project forward.

“Our commitment is to build that road and we will find a way to do with or without (the federal government’s) support,” he told the Chamber.