Louisiana-Pacific wants to shut down the pollution control devices at its Manitoba OSB factory, a move that would save it at least $3 million and keep the plant viable until the housing market recovers. If it's not allowed to do so, the company (Ticker: LPX) says it is "highly conceivable" that it will have to shut down the plant.

Not surprisingly, environmentalists and economics aren't too pleased with the options being presented to the Manitoba government.

"Pollution is a cost to society. In effect what (the company) is saying is, 'It's costing us money to run our pollution control devices so we want to get rid of that cost and instead impose the cost on society at large in the form of pollution,'" he said. "This is the first I've heard of anything like ... It sounds like desperation."