Consider the Impacts

Members of CCGFE recently attended the Michigan International Speedway. This speedway holds 119,000 spectators, only 19,000 more than Canadian Motor Speedway's ultimate build out goal.

What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is an all encompassing term to describe the variety of all life and natural processes on Earth.
The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as “the variability among living organisms from all sources [...] this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems” (Article 2, CBD).

Why is biodiversity so important?

Have you ever considered that the glass of clear, cold, clean water drawn from your faucet may have been purified for you by a wetland or perhaps the root system of an entire forest? Too often people take the availability of products and goods for granted. If we follow the chain of production for many products back to the source, more often than not we arrive back at biodiversity.

Continued loss of biodiversity will result in a rapid decline of the Earth’s natural wealth and a dramatic reduction of future ecosystem services. Agricultural production will dramatically decrease if bacteria and fungi, which make soil fertile and breakdown wastes disappear. The same will happen if insects, bats and birds – which ensure flower pollination – reduce in numbers. With 42% of anti-cancer drugs coming from natural sources, biodiversity loss will force us to face unprecedented challenges.

We are losing both the beauty and richness of our natural environment as well as destabilising the very ecological processes on which we depend. There can be no life on Earth without biodiversity.

To fight the continuous loss of biodiversity which is threatening the survival of the world as a whole, in 2002 world leaders committed to reduce this loss by 2010, following the pledge EU countries had already made in 2001. Find out more on the 2010 Biodiversity Target <http://www.countdown2010.net/biodiversity/the-2010-biodiversity-target> .

Facts and Figures

The abundance of species has declined by 40% between 1970 and 2000. Species present in rivers, lakes and marshlands have declined by 50%.
Declines are alarming in amphibians, mammals, birds in agricultural lands, corals and commonly harvested fish species.
In the North Atlantic, fish have declined by 66% in the last 50 years.
Since 2000, 6 million hectares of primary forest have been lost each year.
In the Caribbean region, hard coral cover has declined from 50% to 10% in the last three decades.
35% of mangroves have been lost in just 20 years.
The value of global ecosystem services is estimated at $16-$64 trillion.

What are the threats to biodiversity?

99% of threatened species are at risk from human activities.
Habitat loss and degradation are the leading threats. They affect 86% of all threatened birds, 86% of the threatened mammals assessed and 88% of the threatened amphibians.
Introductions of alien species. Some of the worst include cats and rats, green crabs, zebra mussels, the African tulip tree and the brown tree snake. Introductions of alien species can happen deliberately or unintentionally, for example, by organisms “hitch-hiking” in containers, ships, cars or soil.
Over-exploitation. Resource extraction, hunting, and fishing for food, pets, and medicine threatens many species.
Pollution and diseases.
Human-induced climate change is increasingly recognized as a crucial threat. Climate change is altering migratory species patterns, causing coral bleaching, etc.

"From the grandstands, the Indy 500 can seem like a deafening marathon blur as the 33 cars scream past at speeds over 200 miles per hour. Behind the steering wheels, the heavily protected drivers experience G-forces comparable to those of astronauts blasting off from the launch pad. Pit stops, pile-ups, and rare fiery crashes aside, the only lull in the roar comes under yellow caution flags, requiring drivers to slow down."
Exerpt from 1,000 Places to See by Patrick Schultz.

"A car burns about 1.3 gallons of fuel per lap at the Indy Speedway."
Exerpt from 1,000 Places to See by Patrick Schultz.

Mr. Mayor and Council,

This was sent to CARS from a concerned citizen. This is some information the proponent has not disclosed. Why are you prepared to subject the ratepayers of Fort Erie to this misery? Have you done your homework? Are you prepared?

What You Should Know About Having a Motor Racing Complex in Your Town

By a lifelong auto racing fan who retired to Fort Erie for peace and quiet and birdwatching…

1) The track will be open for use by racing vehicles all year round, every day. When there is no racing event, there will be rentals for private use.

a. The road course will be rented out for “track days”, also known as “test days” or “lapping days”. Motorcycle or car club members, usually rich guys from Toronto, will trailer in their racing motorcycles, Porsches, BMWs and Ferraris for the day and practice racing techniques all day long.

b. The oval course will be available every day for “Driver Experience” sessions, in which racing fans pay from $500 to $2500 to put on a firesuit and helmet and drive a racing stock car, pretending to be their favourite driver.

c. There will be separate facilities for Motocross motorcycles and racing karts, which can be used at the same time as the big tracks. There will be activity by racing snowmobiles all winter long.

d. A new form of motorsport which is extremely popular, where it has not been outlawed, is called “drifting” which is a timed competition in which the cars are spinning their tires 100 per cent of the time, with as much noise and tire smoke as you could imagine. As things now stand, there’s nothing stopping this in Fort Erie.

2) All these private users will not be shopping in town or using hotel rooms, and no tourists will be coming to see them. They will, however, make as much noise as they can get away with.

3) Motorcycle and car club members usually bring along extra mufflers for use where there are well-enforced noise regulations, but they do not use them unless forced to.

4) When the public realizes that the noise can go on all day every day and spread for miles, they cannot expect enforcement from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. For reasons lost in history, MOE does not regulate motor racing facilities. It will be up to the Town to monitor and enforce the MOE noise guidelines for rural and suburban areas with their own resources.

5) There have been longstanding conflicts in Ontario between residents of racetrack towns and the track users, in such places as Bowmanville (Mosport), Shannonville, Calabogie, and Cayuga (Toronto Motorsports Park). The Dunnville Autodrome was recently shut down by the Ontario Municipal Board for excessive noise (see the linked video for a one-car test session at Dunnville; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVX6qw62-kU <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVX6qw62-kU> ).

6) Track users have a history of having little respect for nearby residents or authorities.

The following exchange is taken from an online forum discussing the closing of the Dunnville Autodrome; (http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124052 <http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124052> ):

"wow that really sucks, what was the reason behind the closure? lack of funds? A local city counsellor who lives beside the airport … I've always said that when this finally happened, we should get every street legal car that goes on the track and drive up and down her street at full throttle (below the speed limit) at 6AM on the weekend. Let's see where she likes us better."

7) As for jobs, on a typical weekday the track needs someone to open up the gate, someone to answer the phone and book dates, someone to pump gas, and someone to drive a tow truck and clean up after accidents; probably a dozen paid jobs at the most.

A Motor Speedway is planned on about 800 acres west of the QEW between Gilmore and Bowen Roads. This development, if it gets approval, will significantly impact Fort Erie and the surrounding area. The quiet residential and farming environment will change forever.

The Speedway plan is for a crowd capacity of 65,000 with expansion capacity to 100,000.
According to the application, snowmobiles may be using the site in the winter.

PROPERTY VALUES

Values, depending on where they are at now, could and/or would probably plummet, the higher up the value scale they are, now or might otherwise go if no track were permitted/present.

If you are principally in a primary home, or working home community/city, with relatively low real estate values, it might not be the end of the world, but if the real estate market in that area was one of retirement/vacation homes AND VERY QUIET in general, it does not bode well for their current/future values, or of those owners of same, any ability to sell in a normally reasonable time frame, if at all (meaning years) without giving away the real estate.

The town/city, is essentially sentencing those properties to an unknown lowered level of values and unknown marketing time frame........................................Read More

Source: Letter from Real Estate Agent, Jan 10, 2010.

As with other such developments, property values are expected to significantly decrease. In some cases the mortgage value could easily exceed the property value.

Exerpt from article in CCScoop News
http://www.ccscoop.com/news/09feb/10-wilzig/wilzig.html
The negative impact the plan would have on property values in the town was a common theme among speakers. “Everybody living within five miles or maybe more . . . will have their property values decreased by 50 percent or maybe more,” said Realtor Robinson Leach, who based his statements on his experiences selling property in Lakeville, CT, which is home to Lime Rock Park. “There have been homes for sale for as long as five years near Lime Rock.”.........................................Read More

NOISE

Click Here to view noise decibel levels

Noise will be excessive even with noise reduction efforts. Noise will most likely be heard up to 25 km away. This will prevent quiet enjoyment of your property. So much for summer back yard BBQs. The project manager admitted the noise will be heard and cannot be completely eliminated.

Proposed location for the Canadian Motor Speedway in
Fort Erie does not meet this basic criteria...

Excerpt from page 9 of the report linked below...
Auto racing requires significant space and generates significant noise. As a consequence, many of the speedways are located a substantial distance from population centers where land is relatively
cheap and distance mutes the noise. These realities temper the economic impact a speedway induces in that they are not geographically positioned to maximize interaction with a community's economy. Of course, the isolation of speedways minimizes the extent to which residents alter their behavior to avoid the congestion and chaos characteristic of highly attended race events.
Source: http://www.holycross.edu/departments/economics/vmatheso/research/daytona.pdf

Be Sure to Take Along Ear Plugs

Excerpt
Be sure to take along ear plugs when you camp at a NASCAR race. Of course, the noise level is extremely high when you're camping near a racetrack. Besides the noise of the cars, the noise level among the campers gets quite loud because most campgrounds are packed with fans on race weekends. And take along a good supply of fire wood. The camaraderie among race fans camping out on race weekend lends itself to wonderful times by a roaring campfire. People tend to visit back and forth between campsites and enjoy the fellowship sitting by the fire.
SHOULD WE EXPECT FIRES, TOO????
Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2121614_camp-nascar-race.html

Power Rules for Speakers At Daytona Speedway

Excerpt
"The sound system generates sounds in the high 80 to low 90 decibel range—enough to surpass screaming fans without muting the sound of high horsepower engines as the cars roar past, providing an incomparable fan experience. “The sound delivered by the Bogen and Apogee products is unmatched,” said Fenstermacher" ..........Read More
Source: http://www.bogen.com/applications/casestudies/ – Racetracks – Daytona Speedway PDF

Sports Economics and Economic Impact Analysis

Excerpt from Research Paper
"Auto racing requires significant space and generates significant noise. As a consequence, many of the speedways are located a substantial distance from population centers where land is relatively cheap and distance mutes the noise. These realities temper the economic impact a speedway induces in that they are not geographically positioned to maximize interaction with a community's economy. Of course, the isolation of speedways minimizes the extent to which residents alter their behavior to avoid the congestion and chaos characteristic of highly attended race events."
Source: http://www.holycross.edu/departments/economics/vmatheso/research.htm

POLLUTION
With vehicles for 65,000+ spectators, air pollution will be a big problem. Aside from the actual racing events, cars will be in queue, idling at least 3 hours to leave the venue. Will it be another 3 hours to park? That is a possible 6 hours of iding per major event. This will create health hazards for those with breathing difficulties and increase the incidences of lung cancer. Studies have proven this to be the case.

Sign outside the Leisureplex, beside Town Hall.
The proponent's Traffic Impact Assessment-updated August 2009 states,
"The goal is to ensure the facitlity can discharge within three (3) hours following the completion of a major/feature race event."

Air pollution linked to hospitalizations for pneumonia in seniors

Excerpt from McMaster University Daily News
A McMaster University researcher has found the first evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of the pollutants found in car exhaust fumes and industrial air pollution can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia in adults aged 65 and older...........Read More
Source: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=6532

TRAFFIC
Fort Erie’s roads are not designed for the volume of 65,000-100,000 people. Will the tax payer end up paying for the necessary infrastructure?

Excerpt from Community and Development Services Report No. CDS-054-09 (available at Fort Erie Town Hall)

The Traffic Impact Assessment examined the traffic impact associated with a major/feature race event at the Canadian Motor Speedway. The report determines that in 2012 (estimated project opening), in 2017 and in 2022 capacity deficiencies and unacceptable operating conditions will result at a number of key intersections.

The Preliminary Traffic Impact Assessment recommends nine traffic signal control and intersection improvements. In addition, a number of roadways in and around the subject property will be upgraded to either three or five lanes.

GARBAGE

Source:
http://www.allbusiness.com/sports-recreation/sports-recreation-facilities-venues/12692953-1.htm
Per......Rusty Tillman, event manager for Extreme Clean, the company from Okahumpka in Lake County doing cleanup (following the 2009 Daytona 500), which started in the grandstands on Sunday night. About 650 people work to tidy up, Tillman said. A mountain of trash in the infield would take until Thursday to cart to the Volusia County landfill -- including sofas, grills, piles of plastic bottles and garbage, he said. "People build all kinds of contraptions, shower houses with real shower heads and homemade toilets," Tillman said. The job is routine for him. He travels the country to NASCAR tracks. "If we find anything valuable, we notify the Speedway," he said. Mostly it's junk.

Source: http://www.bannascarnow.com/
Garbage Creation with No Recycling: 6.7 million fan-billies attend NASCAR Nextel Cup events each year, and they drink beer. It doesn’t come in washable glass mugs, it comes in non-recyclable plastic cups and (unrecycled) recyclable plastic bottles, and aluminum can s THAT END UP IN THE TRASH! If you figure even only one six-pack per attendee, and many drink much more than that, it equals 40 billion pieces of garbage, and we haven’t even talked about the hotdog wrappers, condiment packets and hundred square miles of paper napkins. If each fan drinks only one case of beer per event, at one ounce of trash per beer, that’s still 160billion pieces of garbage, 10billion pounds of garbage, 5,000 tons of garbage per year, 13,698 tons per day, 570 tons per hour, or 9.51 tons of garbage created every second of every day, 365 days a year, and just because people attend NASCAR.

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