Collingwood’s ethanol plant is planning to shut its doors for most of the summer as it works on reducing the smells and noise it generates.
The plant has been at the centre of two years of controversy with thousands of complaints from people in the east end of Collingwood, about foul odours wafting downwind.
In a letter to the Ministry of the Environment, the plant’s manager says Collingwood Ethanol will shut down as of June 30th while it puts in place equipment needed to reduce the smells.
There will be layoffs while the work takes place.
The letter also says the plant is planning to settle its court cases with the town and the Ministry so it can focus on cleaning up its act.
Collingwood Ethanol has now hired prominent PR firm Hill and Knowlton to help with its communications.
The Ministry of the Environment has spent the last year measuring the odors and noises and gave the plant a deadline of last week to come up with a plan to fix the problems.