Port Fuels proposal abandoned along Hamilton’s harbourfront

Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla says the old days, where Hamilton would “bend over for investment,” are over.

He’s celebrating the decision to abandon a controversial proposal for an energy-from-waste plant along Hamilton Harbour.

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Merulla confirms that the Hamilton Port Authority and Port Fuels, the company behind the proposal, have “mutually agreed” to let a lease expire on Pier 15, at the foot of Sherman Ave. North.

Merulla adds that council is also enjoying a better relationship with the authority under President and CEO Ian Hamilton whom he says “wants to really be part of a solution and part of the future of Hamilton.”

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Merulla adds that the port fuels plan represented a kind of “old Hamilton” typified by smokestacks and dirty industry.

The project has been a flash point for North End residents due to concerns about truck traffic, air quality and water quality.

Supporters of the plant argued that would turn trash into gas and create up to 50 jobs, while bringing the city as much as $500,000 a year in tax revenue.