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Category Archives: Joint

Draft State of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) and Risk Management Scope for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by ECCC and HC – Supporting

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, July 19th, 2023
Posted in Chemicals of Mutual Concern, Joint, ORA Submissions, PFAS

The State of the PFAS report and the Risk Management Scope document were released for public comments during a time when Bill S-5 (Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act) received Royal Assent on June 13, 2023. The updated CEPA includes substantial changes to the listing of toxic substances under Schedule 1 of CEPA. The findings of the State of PFAS concluding PFAS as a class meet more than one criterion under section 64 are expected to be relevant due to the changes in CEPA. A listing of PFAS as a class under CEPA should be made in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of CEPA. Based on the body of evidence collected in the State of the PFAS report demonstrating the ecological toxicity and associated impacts of PFAS as a class to health, it is critical that PFAS as a class be given the full scope of regulatory measures, particularly with a focus on prohibition, that is permitted under CEPA.

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Ministers Guilbeault and Duclos: Expand the single-use plastic ban – Joint

By Linda Heron on Thursday, January 26th, 2023
Posted in Government, Joint, Plastics, Pollution, River Concerns, Water Quality

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are deeply concerned about the plastic waste and pollution crisis and its devastating impacts worldwide. As responsible ministers for the Canadian Environmental Protection Act – “an Act respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health”, we urge you to take bolder and urgent action to tackle the crisis by expanding the single-use plastics ban to include a more comprehensive list of problematic plastics and substances.

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Delayed Decision to List American Eel Under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) – Joint

By Linda Heron on Friday, December 9th, 2022
Posted in American Eel, Aquatic Life, Fisheries, Hydroelectric, Joint, Species at Risk

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 We are a coalition of Indigenous Peoples and conservation and environmental non-governmental organizations concerned with the conservation of American Eel and write to ask that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans take all necessary steps to immediately list this important species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). 

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ERO-019-6216 Proposed Amendments to Greenbelt Plan & ERO-019-6217 – Proposed Amendments to the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation – Joint

By Linda Heron on Thursday, December 1st, 2022
Posted in Bill 23, Environmental Bill of Rights, Environmental Registry, Greenbelt, Joint, Municipal, Urban Development

West Credit River. Photo by Steve Noakes.

We, the 78 undersigned organizations, are strongly opposed to the Ontario Government’s proposal to remove 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt. Opening these lands to development would destroy vital wildlife corridors, negatively impact woodlands, wetlands and watercourses, and result in the loss of over 5,000 acres of farmland. The government’s rationale – that these lands are needed for housing – is unfounded and untrue. We urge you not to proceed with this proposal for the reasons outlined below…

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ERO-019-6160 – Proposed Updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System – Joint

By Linda Heron on Thursday, November 24th, 2022
Posted in Bill 23, Environmental Registry, Flooding, Joint, Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, Regulatory, River Concerns, Species at Risk, Urban Development, Water Quality, Wetlands

“Blandings Turtle” by tcmurray74 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

As you know, the OWES is a science-based ranking system that provides a standardized approach to determining the relative value of wetlands. OWES assessments are necessary to designate Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs). This designation in turn results in a high level of protection under provincial law and policy such as the Provincial Policy Statement (sections 2.1.4, 2.1.5 and 2.1.8). Yet the complete overhaul of the OWES, as proposed, will ensure that very few wetlands would be deemed provincially significant in the future and that many if not most existing PSWs could lose that designation. As a result, very few of Ontario’s wetlands would benefit in the future from the protection that PSW designation currently provides. We urge you not to proceed with the proposed changes to the OWES, for the reasons outlined below. 

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Erin WWTP – Environmental Compliance Approval – Joint

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, August 24th, 2022
Posted in Environmental Compliance Approval, Erin WWTP, Joint, ORA Submissions, Regulatory, Rivers at Risk, Urban Development, Waste Water Treatment Facilities, West Credit River

Photo by Steven Noakes – West Credit River Brook Trout

The Coalition for the West Credit River (Coalition) remains very concerned with the potential environmental impact of the Erin Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) and, in particular, the temperature of its treated effluent harming the sensitive coldwater Brook Trout habitat of the West Credit River. 

As your Ministry is aware, the approved sewage treatment plant proposes to discharge large flows of sewage effluent into the relatively small flow of the West Credit River. The lack of significant dilution will greatly magnify the thermal impact of warm effluent on this coldwater stream. 

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Put nature at the centre of Canada’s Adaptation Strategy – Joint

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, July 13th, 2022
Posted in Climate Change, Joint, River Concerns

Photo by Steven Noakes – West Credit River

As representatives of more than 90 organizations from across Canada, we are writing to urge you to put nature at the centre of Canada’s forthcoming National Adaptation Strategy.

The impacts of climate change are already being felt across the country, and we must all work together to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilient communities and ecosystems.

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Environmental Compliance Approval Number 7877-CALRZU – Erin Water Resource Recovery Facility – Joint

By Linda Heron on Friday, June 3rd, 2022
Posted in Aquatic Life, Brook Trout, Erin WWTP, Fisheries, Joint, Regulatory, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Sewage, Urban Development, Waste Water Treatment Facilities, Water Quality, West Credit River

Photo by Steven Noakes

First, the Coalition for the West Credit River (Coalition) would like to express our deepest appreciation that you and your staff worked with our Technical Team over the last several months to incorporate some of our recommendations into the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). However, we are concerned that our key recommendations for improvements to the draft ECA, received by you on 2 May, were not reflected in the ECA approved on 3 May 2022. 

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Delegation Request – Erin Water Resource Recovery Facility – Joint

By Linda Heron on Friday, June 3rd, 2022
Posted in Aquatic Life, Brook Trout, Environmental Compliance Approval, Erin WWTP, Fisheries, Joint, Regulatory, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Sewage, Sewage, Urban Development, Waste Water Treatment Facilities, West Credit River

Photo by Steven Noakes

The Coalition is very appreciative of your strong support in recommending to the Honourable David Piccini, Minister of Environment, Conservation Parks (MECP) and Mayor Allan Alls, Town of Erin, that our draft Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan be integrated into the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). As you are likely aware, the ECA for the Erin Water Resource Recovery Facility was approved on 3 May 2022 by Aziz Ahmed, P.Eng., MECP Manager of Municipal Water & Wastewater Permissions, appointed for the purposes of Part II.1 of the Environmental Protection Act. 

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Renomination of Radionuclides as Chemicals of Mutual Concern Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

By Linda Heron on Monday, May 16th, 2022
Posted in Great Lakes Protection Act, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Joint, Radionuclides, Regulatory, Regulatory Submissions

Five years ago, in March 2016, 110 groups submitted an application under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) to designate radionuclides as Chemicals of Mutual Concern (CMCs) under Annex 3 of that Agreement. We submitted our nomination in reply to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) call for nominations from the public. 

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