Will the city act on report calling for more studies of gas plant?

City councillors will grapple today with a new consultant’s report about the environmental impacts of a proposed gasification plant.

The general issues committee will discuss the Port Fuels and Materials Services Inc. waste-to-energy plant proposed for Pier 15. The potential environmental impacts, a report from WSP Canada warns, “may not have been appropriately assessed.”

The plant would use a trademarked technology called Gasplasma, which would combine gas and direct plasma technologies to convert some 200,000 tones of imported waste into electricity per year. It’s used as a much smaller test facility in Swindon, England.

Here’s what else is on the agenda:

• A report will show that Canada Post’s plan to scrap door-to-door mail delivery and install community mailboxes could cost the city millions.
• A strategy to encourage more foreign investors to invest in Hamilton.
• Extending the pilot project to improve the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, which includes validated parking.

The committee meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. Reporter Samantha Craggs will tweet at @SamCraggsCBC.