People in the Ansnorveldt area might be inclined these days to think of the Grinch, and point in the general direction of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA).

OPA announced Thursday evening that York Energy Centre LP has been picked to build and run a 393-megawatt peaking power generating station just south of Ansnorveldt.

Pristine Power inc. is to be the developer of the project, as well as 50 per cent owner of the facility to be known as York Energy Centre. The other half is to be owned by Harbert Power, which is based in Alabama.

King Township, earlier this year, declared it would not be a willing host of such a facility, and the Township lost no time in getting reactions ready.

Planning Director Stephen Kitchen circulated a memo at Monday night's Township council meeting, in which he sated staff proposes to carry on gathering information. on what is being proposed.

Northland Power, which had put forth two proposed sites for the plant, had provided considerable information to the Township in the weeks before the decision had been made. Pristine, on the other hand, has not yet offered much information.

In his memo, Kitchen stated all the proponents, including Pristine, had submitted environmental review reports (ERR) early in November, with a 30-day period in which to comment. Council passed a resolution requesting an extension, and Kitchen reported Pristine replied they would extend their deadline to Dec. 19 (this Friday). Kitchen added the Township had been hoping for an extension until at least Jan. 21, since council's meeting Monday night is to be the last until after the holiday break.

All of the ERRs have been subjected to peer reviews, and Kitchen stated in the interest of cutting cots, King has relied on York Region to study the issues of human health assessment. The conclusion, according to Kitchen's memo, is "the construction and operation of a natural gas fired electrical generating facility would not pose undue risk to either human health or ecological receptors."

Kitchen also told councillors Pristine submitted a site plan to the Township Nov. 4, but staff's current position is that is premature until issues involving zoning and King's Official Plan have been addressed. He said Pristine evidently believes a plant like this is a permitted use on the 33-acre property on the east side of Dufferin Street, about half a mile south of Ansnorveldt. Kitchen said his department has always maintained a rezoning and Official Plan amendment is required. He added the Township's solicitor is looking into that.

As well, he said there are other issues that need to be addressed, such a the impacts of any microclimate associated with high-temperature exhausts on the Holland Marsh and surrounding area; possible impacts on the unique soils in the Marsh; conformity with the Provincial greenbelt legislation; and the location of overhead transmission lines connecting with the plant.

Kitchen said the plan was to have initial comments ready to send to the Environmental Assessment Branch of the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in time for the Friday deadline, stressing that they would only be staff comments. Council will not have a chance to discuss the matter until it meets again Jan 19.

He also suggested that if the issues raised by the Township are not addressed by Pristine, then that letter should be taken as a request for a bump-up to an individual environmental assessment.

Councillor Jeff Laidlaw wondered what they were waiting for, urging that a bump-up be requested as soon as possible.

"We don't have the time to play on this," he remarked.

But Township CAO Scott Somerville argued that could be premature, adding it was better to wait until they have the material to support such a request.

No reason was given for the selection. JoAnne Butler, vice-president of electricity resources for OPA, said the exact reasons are confidential.

"Basically, they demonstrated the best balance between quality and value for the electricity consumers," she remarked.

Jeff Meyers, president and CEO of Pristine, said he was given no reason either. Speaking from Calgary, he said they just received simple notification Thursday afternoon (local time) that they had won.

He also said there will be a review period, during which interested parties will be able to ask questions, or even request a bump-up. He also said they will have to get together with Township officials to discuss the landuse issues.

He figured they will be working on the necessary permits for about eight or nine months, with the hope that construction can start about a year from now.

Meyers said he realizes they are going to be facing a lot of public opposition in King.

"We'll absolutely have to pacify that," he said.

He added they have talked to the immediate neighbours, and might have to buy a few of the properties. "We think it's a good thing to do," he commented.

As well, he agreed that interest groups will want to be informed and involved.

He added there will be other parties that will be harder to pacify "They basically refuse to sit down with us because they don't want to hear the trust," he said. "They want it to go away."

Black said she got the news at about 7 p.m. Thursday. She also heard from York Region Chairman Bill Fisch and the office of Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman. She added she got a call from Smitherman himself the next morning, and he pledged to take part in a town hall meeting on the issue. He also said the Township will be reimbursed for the staff work involved in the proposal.

"We're going to get as much as we can from OPA," Black vowed.

She also said Butler had stated one of he factors is the site is near the hydro lines running through the area. Black observed those towers went up in the 1940s.

"The decision from the 1940s really prejudiced the decision today," she commented.

Councillor Jack Rupke said he was surprised at the decision, figuring if it was to go in King, it would be one of the Northland sites.

He also said lawyers are going to have to determine if a rezoning and Official Plan amendment is needed for the site.

Rupke was also resigned to the idea that fighting this development not going to be successful. "There's no way we're going to stop it," he said, but added there are things that can be done to improve the lot for king taxpayers. "I don't think we'll be able to completely eliminate it from happening."

Reaction from the public was not very positive.

"It's most unfortunate," remarked Ansnorveldt area resident Clayton De Vries.

He also said some of the area residents planned to get together early this week to discuss what to do next.

"This has to be an Ansnorveldt fight now," he remarked.

"I have continued to be hopeful that there would be a responsible intervention by the Minister of energy to stop that," commented Debbie Schaefer, of Concerned citizens of King Township (CCKT). "I certainly continue to believe the issue is not the site that's been selected. The issue is this is a very bad plan."