Marathon mill still waiting for wood supply allocation announcements

Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle is admitting he raised false expectations surrounding the provincial wood supply competition.

Minister Gravelle's comments come in response to frustrations expressed by Marathon mayor Rick Dumas. Dumas said he is upset over Gravelle's failure to make wood supply allocation announcements within the time lines he had originally set out.

Dumas said the dormant Marathon Pulp mill has a legitimate buyer who wants to convert the Brownfield mill property into a wood pellet manufacturing facility. Protocol Biomass Corporation has been in talks with Marathon about converting the mill site for the past year.

But Dumas said nothing can go forward without a secure wood supply from the province.
Gravelle originally said announcements on wood applications would start in October. He later pushed that timeline back to the end of the year.

Speaking from Toronto Tuesday, Gravelle said no announcements will be forth coming until sometime in 2011 because of the need for due diligence. While he said he appreciates Dumas’ eagerness to move things forward, Gravelle said the province has already received 115 applications for wood supply and his ministry is working as quickly as it can to process them.

The process must also go through a thorough investigation from an independent fairness commission he added.

"It is a very detailed and complicated process," Gravelle said. "It’s the largest wood supply competition we’ve ever had in the province of Ontario."

In the interest of fairness, Gravelle said he couldn’t speak to Protocol’s claim.