BILL WOULD LET UTILITIES CUT OFF POWER TO THOSE SUSPECTED OF GROWING POT

The Ontario government plans to give electricity utilities the authority to
cut off the power going to suspected marijuana growing operations as a way
to battle the burgeoning underground industry, Public Security Minister
Monte Kwinter said yesterday.

Residents of the suspected site of the grow-op then would have to invite
officials from the utility into the building before power was restored.
This would enable the officials to confirm to police that an illegal
activity was taking place, Mr. Kwinter told reporters at Queen's Park.

"Electricity distributors may cut off power to a suspected grow house
without notification [under the proposed legislation]," he said.

"We're doing this because, every year, $80-million of electricity is being
stolen, plus, it presents a hazard because they are bypassing the meters,"
Mr. Kwinter said.

The growing of marijuana in houses, condominium units and apartments has
become a serious problem, according to officials in the Public Security
Ministry.

Chemicals used to enhance the strength of the marijuana can be dangerous
and the operations draw large amounts of power to operate the lighting,
heating and hydroponic systems.

Typically, the operators obtain the electricity by illicitly linking up to
a power line.

"Not only are they using the power, they are bypassing the meter. And they
do that quite often with . . .connections that put the premises at risk. So
the distributor, if they suspect that that is happening, [will have] the
ability to cut off the power without notice. . . . They cannot do that
now," Mr. Kwinter said.

He stressed that utilities will not be able to act capriciously.

"They will have to do due diligence and they've got to be able to justify
why they have done it. . . . They're going to have to have very strong
evidence that this place is being used as a grow house," he said.

In recent months, several homes in the Greater Toronto Area have been
destroyed by fires and explosions caused by the operations. After a grow-op
moves out of a residence, it can leave behind moulds that attack wooden
foundations and walls, Mr. Kwinter said.

The legislation to be introduced this fall will allow electricity utilities
to cut off power to a suspected operation because of potential risks to
safety that could endanger residents of adjoining condos or apartments or
nearby houses.

Electricity would be cut off only if there was strong evidence of an
illicit operation, Mr. Kwinter stressed.

And before restoring the power, the utility could send in inspectors to
ensure there was no safety risk, he said.

Any indication of an illicit operation could be passed on to police for
further action.