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St Marys Cement responds to comments by Liberal MPP

October 31, 2012  By From Canada Newswire


October
31, 2012, Toronto, ON /CNW/ – Earlier this week, St Marys Cement announced that
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and other senior Cabinet Ministers will be
subpoenaed and compelled to testify in the judicial review of the Liberal
government's decision to kill the proposed Flamborough Quarry.

October
31, 2012, Toronto, ON /CNW/ – Earlier this week, St Marys Cement announced that
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and other senior Cabinet Ministers will be
subpoenaed and compelled to testify in the judicial review of the Liberal
government's decision to kill the proposed Flamborough Quarry. St Marys has
also filed a NAFTA claim based on the regulatory failure in this case, and is
seeking damages of not less than $275 million.


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In
an article posted on the CBC Hamilton website yesterday, Liberal MPP Ted
McMeekin referred to the actions by St. Marys Cement as "belligerent
threats to people." We believe that Mr. McMeekin's comments are
inappropriate and highly inflammatory.


Mr.
McMeekin further states that the project would have been on
"environmentally sensitive lands." In fact, in response to an
exhaustive Freedom of Information (FOI) request by St Marys Cement, the
government did not produce any evidence that the quarry would compromise the
watershed, water quality or quantity, wetlands, or the natural environment.


What
we did find in the materials released were numerous documents suggesting a
deeply politicized process that amounts to another Liberal seat-saver scandal,
similar to the Oakville and Mississauga gas plant debacles. One such
document shows that on the eve of the Ministerial Zoning Order announcement
which halted our application process, the Press Secretary to Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Housing Jim Bradley counseled Ted McMeekin to "trumpet
your success" at the local level. He told Mr. McMeekin to do a multi-day
celebration to get "the most media bang for our buck." He further
suggested a victory party complete with "a giant cake, some music,
etc."


Mr.
McMeekin should correct the record, retract his comments and apologize. St.
Marys Cement continues to seek an opportunity to follow a well-defined
aggregate licensing process that would bring much needed jobs and new tax
revenue to Hamilton.


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