Holland Marsh power plant concerns led to a well-attended first session of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing last week at the King Township municipal offices.

The first session of the hearing, regarding a 393- megawatt gas-fired generator in the Holland Marsh, lasted around 40 minutes last Wednesday, asg Pristine Power’s York Energy Centre lawyer Michael Melling, explained his client had objections with some of the evidence submitted by King.

King’s lawyer James Feehely and Melling agreed to a settlement that would remove the more touchy items, though their documents would have to be submitted again for approval.

OMB Hearing Officer Susan Schiller brought the session to a close so Freehley could do that.

Melling commented that King wanted to make a case that there was no real need for the power plant.

Feehely said he doesn’t expect the removal of some of the evidence to have huge impact on the case.

“The items that have been retracted were evident because I thought maybe it would be brought up at a later date,” he said.

Though residents did not have a chance to talk during the hearing they did have much to say afterwards.

Debbie Schaeffer, chair of Concerned Citizens of King Township (CCKT), commented that what OMB needs to take into consideration is that the peaker plant will be build on protected land in the Provincial Greenbelt

Mayor Margaret Black said the King Township would continue to take a strong opposition against the peaker plant being in the Greenbelt.

“This does not go along with the ways of the greenbelt,” Black commented.

Councillor Jack Rupke commented that while the session did not last long, it gave the Township the chance to create ground rules.

The hearing was scheduled for yesterday

Tuesday) at the municipal offices.