As many of you know, CN is proposing to build a 400 acre truck-rail hub in the Town of Milton. As part of the Federal Review process, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is in the final stages of public consultation regarding their environmental assessment of CN’s proposed truck-rail hub. The Agency is accepting comments from the public on the potential environmental assessment conditions for the project until August 21. I am encouraging everyone who lives or works in Halton to learn more about the proposal and to take action to make sure the Federal Government knows where you stand on this issue.
Here are the facts:
- The proposed site is immediately adjacent to existing and planned residential areas. Approximately 34,000 current and future residents, twelve schools, two long-term care homes and one hospital are located within one kilometer of the site.
- The proposed hub will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and result in 1,600 truck trips to and from the site each day. These truck routes will lead to more traffic on our roads and traffic will continue to increase as the site’s capacity grows. This congestion poses a risk to the safety of motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and families in the area.
- The proposed facility is contrary to Halton’s planning strategy developed over 20 years ago—planning that is irreversible at this stage.
- Through their review, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada determined that CN’s proposed truck-rail hub in Milton is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on air quality and human health.
- The Panel identified six potentially significant adverse effects on human and environmental health as well as a risk for at least 16 additional potentially adverse effects, including the impact of noise on residential communities.
- This is not business as usual—the impacts to air quality and human health are unprecedented and put Halton residents at risk.
- The Panel recommended 200 mitigation measures to avoid significant adverse effects, but the Federal Government cannot enforce the majority of these. If these measures cannot be enforced, they will never be implemented to protect the public.
If the Federal Government approves this project, they are sending a message that the health and safety of Halton residents is worth risking. This project should not go forward given the Panel’s findings of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Voicing our concerns
We are concerned that this is only the start—CN has not disclosed their plans for the other 800 acres of their 1,200 acres of land in Milton and potential expansion in the future would increase the effects on health, traffic, safety and the environment. We call on the Federal Government to do the right thing and refuse approval of CN’s proposal.
To continue our advocacy efforts against this proposed truck-rail hub, we’ve created a video (YouTube video) that highlights the many impacts to our community and those who live here:
Make your voice heard
Now is the time to act so you can voice your opinion before the Minister’s announces a decision by September 23. To make your voice heard, you can:
- call or email your Member of Parliament (external link) and tell them that the health of your family and neighbours matter;
- submit your comments directly to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada before August 21 by using the link on halton.ca/cn;
- sign the online petition (external link) posted by Milton Says No and Milton R.A.I.L. and join others in your community in the fight against CN’s proposal by August 16; and
- be a part of the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #sayNO2CNhub and following @RegionofHalton.
For more information about CN’s proposal and the Halton Municipalities’ position on this project, please visit halton.ca/cn. Together, we can ensure Halton remains a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.