For Immediate Release
Owen Sound, ON – The Source Protection Committee for the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region is one step closer to having a completed Source Protection Plan.
Preliminary Source Protection Plan policies have been approved by the Source Protection Committee and have been distributed to potential implementing agencies for review and comment. The agencies include upper and lower tier Municipalities, Provincial ministries, Conservation Authorities and planning authorities.
The policies are to address significant drinking water threats to sources of municipal drinking water systems. The threats to drinking water sources were identified as part of technical work conducted by the committee over the last four years. Assessment Reports, outlining the extent of threats to drinking water sources were submitted to the Ministry of the Environment in June 2011.
The Clean Water Act and its regulations provide to the Source Protection Committee a variety of tools to address significant drinking water threats. Some of these policy tools are: risk management plans; land use planning; restricted land uses; and education and outreach. The preliminary policies have been reviewed by members of the Source Protection Committee which has agricultural, municipal, environment, health, public, industrial and commercial sector representatives. These preliminary policies have also been reviewed the Agricultural and Rural Working Group and Planning Officials Working Group. The policies are intended to ensure that activities that could be threats never become threats and that existing activities that are considered threats now are managed so that they cease to be threats. The policies apply to very specific vulnerable areas associated with municipal wells.
The public will have the opportunity to review and comment on these policies in Spring 2012 after the Source Protection Committee has had time to review and consider the comments received from potential implementing agencies.
“This is an important milestone in the Source Protection process”, Mike Traynor, Chairman of the Source Protection Committee. “We look forward to receiving comments from potential implementing agencies” he said.
Drinking Water Source Protection is a program governed by legislation and regulations of the Clean Water Act, 2006. The Source Protection Plan is a science based documents that is locally driven and written for this Source Protection Region. Source Protection Plans must be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment by August 20, 2012.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Don Smith, Project Manager, d.smith@waterprotection.ca or 519-470-3000 x101
David Ellingwood, Program Supervisor, d.ellingwood@waterprotection.ca or 519-470-3000 x102