Waterloo Moraine Moraine:
Risks and Efforts to Protect
butterflybluelu@rogers.com
Region of Waterloo is trying to protect our
municipal ground water supply from damages by aggregate interests
but there is resistance by the Provincial and Aggregate
companies. Learn about the SAROS report and risks posed by aggregates
by clicking the button here:
Land Augmentations prior to the
completion of OMB mandated studies took place in the West Side
Lands starting in August 2009 and now we are seeking the public's
help to raise funds to proceed into a Contempt of Court process
against the City of Waterloo.
Click the button for details.
Region
of Waterloo established Country Side Line by vote but on Monday
June 28th, Kitchener Council wanted to initiate a motion to delay
under duress of an OMB threat. Click the button to view item 10
on the agenda.
Fortunately on June 30th Regional
Council turned down Kitchener's request to delay the designation
of the Country Side Line.
The changes to the ROPP will
now go to the Province for Approval.
New study
initiated to to develop a surface water ground water model for
the Waterloo Moraine that will be included in an upcoming compiliation
of research on the Waterloo Moraine in a special edition of a
scientific journal edited by the Geological Survey of Canada and
the University of Waterloo!
TREE REMOVAL IN
ESPA 19 HAS BEGUN.
CLICK THIS BUTTON
FOR DETAILS
The City of Waterloo intends to
place a trail meters away from the most likely habitat for Jefferson
Salamanders in ESPA 19. The asphalt trail with lighiting is intended
to be used by school children. To view the City of Waterloo notice
visit here:
The City of Waterloo has passed a ballot question which could
lead the way to the amalgamation of the city of Kitchener to Waterloo.
To see the economic risk this could pose visit here.
Local environementalists are concerned that the
city of Waterloo will lose it's ability to adequately protect the
Waterloo Moraine should a merger occur.
Regarding the
Waterloo Moraine Request for Review for a Waterloo Moraine Act
Waterlooians.ca's David Wellhauser and Waterloo resident Louisette
Lanteigne submitted two Request for Reviews for an investigation
into the need for source water and groundwater protection for the
Waterloo Moraine. To read the press release regarding Mr. Wellhauser's
application click HERE. It features
a cost estimation for the value of the water in the recharge.
The
Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs
and Housing believe that current policies under their existing legislation
should provide adequate protection for the moraine within their
mandates therefore they have not endorsed a review from their departments.
The
Ministry of the Environment did allow for a review and as a result
they decline the request for a Waterloo Moraine Act as well as a
Galt/Paris Moraine Act. The reports can be seen online at this website:
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/moraines/index.php
We
as the applicants have the opinion that the terms of reference
as identified in the reports lead to the final conclusion that
existing legislation actually works without adequately responding
to the specific issues we raised in our request for reviews. It
is evidence in the Terms of Reference when you view what was scoped
and what wasn't. No effort was made to address any of the economic
implications whatsoever. Please view the list of topics considered
"Out of Scope" as noted on page 2 of the report.
Due
to the terms of reference the report did not have regard to the
fact the moraine recharges the Grand River, a Natural Heritage river
which provides a portion of our local water supply and 100% of the
Water supply for downstream communities including Brantford, Brant
County and Six Nations.
We
must protect the source areas to protect both water quality and
water quantity to assure the river's assimilation capacity otherwise
it places the municipalities, the fisheries, the economy and Lake
Erie's shipping and Hydro output at risk.
There
was a lack of data regarding the economic importance of the system
and no data to show if we have enough water to support the projected
growth targets mandated by the province of Ontario. We don't know
our current water volumes, and cannot predict how long our wells
will be able to function in the face of growing contamination issues.
The
MOE secured a locally based hydrologist as the leading technical
authority for the Waterloo Moraine Study. This individual has made
a career working on proposals in hydrologically sensitive areas
within the study area so it's difficult for us to understand how
the MOE could negate this as a conflict of interest.
There
are a host of outstanding issues. It is our hope to continue to
pursue dialogue on this matter with the Ministries and the Environmental
Commissioner's Office to mitigate risks in order to assure a safe
water supply for generations to come.
For
more information, contact Louisette Lanteigne at butterflybluelu@rogers.com
Why
we're at risk: the view from Waterloo
Click topics for details.
