For Immediate Release
The second meeting of the Drinking Water Source Protection Committee (SPC) for the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region was held January 22, 2008, in
Owen Sound.
Members concluded earlier discussions on administrative documents and gave approval to the Rules of Procedure, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy. The Rules of Procedure
will guide the Committee in conducting its business meetings. The SPC meetings are open to the public and the public will be broadly notified of upcoming meetings.
A timeline for preparation of the Terms of Reference was discussed by the Committee. The Terms of Reference will identify the drinking water systems to be included in an assessment
report and source protection plan, together with the tasks required to study those systems. A preliminary draft of the Terms of Reference is expected to be available for public comment in
early summer 2008 and a final draft is due by late summer 2008. Municipalities and First Nations in the region have already been formally notified of the start of the process to develop a
Terms of Reference. Under provincial regulations, municipal councils can ask to have additional drinking water systems added to the Terms of Reference and can decided whether their
municipality wishes to undertake some of the work necessary to produce the assessment report.
Another important document adopted by the Committee was the mission statement and guiding principles. Michael Traynor, Chair of the SPC, commented, “The Committee felt very strongly
that we needed to identify to the community the underlying principles that will guide our work in drinking water source protection.”
Mission Statement: Providing leadership to engage the entire community in developing comprehensive, responsible solutions to protect water resources.
Guiding principles: We value:
- Comprehensive, science-based research
- Recognizing and engaging all members of the community as valued stakeholders
- Informed decision makers through communication, education and responsive to community enquiries
- Being open and transparent
- Sustainable and long-term decision making
Minutes of SPC meetings and other information about Drinking Water Source Protection are available on the local Source Protection website at www.waterprotection.ca.
The Source Protection Committee will be meeting next on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 9:30 in the Grey Sauble Conservation office, lower level, on Inglis Falls Road, Owen Sound. The public
is welcome to attend. Other meeting dates are March 18, April 22, May 20 and June 24, 2008 (time and location to be determined).
-30-
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Ellingwood, Communications Specialist, Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region, at (519) 376-3076 x. 246 or e-mail d.ellingwood@greysauble.on.ca