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Category Archives: Pollution

Time to clean the swimming pool but where to drain the water?

By Linda Heron on Tuesday, May 12th, 2020
Posted in Aquatic Life, Chemicals of Mutual Concern, Chlorine, Fisheries, ORA Reports, Pollution, River Concerns, salt, Toxics, Water Quality

MEDIA RELEASE:  For Immediate Release – 14 May 2020

Time to clean the swimming pool but where to drain the water?

It’s that time of year when you are likely thinking about getting the pool or hot tub ready for the summer season.  It’s a good idea to prepare by first checking with your local town or city to find out what you should do with the water when you drain the pool.  “Beware, that releasing pool or hot tub water containing chlorine or salt directly into the street or a storm drain could bring a very heavy fine. That’s because those chemicals would then flow untreated into a local stream, river or lake and could result in a fish die-off or be very harmful to aquatic life”, said Linda Heron, Chair of the Ontario Rivers Alliance (ORA). Continue reading →

ERO-019-0773 – “Proposal to transfer requirements from Ontario’s industrial effluent monitoring and limits regulations into Environmental Compliance Approvals and revoke the regulations” – ORA Endorsement

By Linda Heron on Friday, December 6th, 2019
Posted in Heavy Metal Contamination, Pollution, Regulatory, Regulatory Submissions, River Concerns, Support, Toxics, Urban Development, Water Quality

Removing the regulatory baseline for 113 of Ontario’s most heavily polluting facilities in nine environmentally damaging sectors is the wrong approach if the Government of Ontario’s goal is to hold polluters accountable, as it has stated on several occasions.  In order to achieve that goal, the MISA regulations should be updated and expanded to new facilities operating in Ontario across the nine industrial sectors.

Continue reading →

Bill 66 – ERO 013-4234 – Repeal of the Toxics Reduction Act & ERO 013-4235 – Planning & reporting changes under Regs.

By Linda Heron on Saturday, January 19th, 2019
Posted in Government, ORA Submissions, Pollution, Regulatory Submissions, River Concerns, Urban Development, Water Quality

Pollution – website banner of toxic water as running from sewers to the environment

ORA submits that Schedule 5 of Bill 66 is a regressive, unwarranted and potentially risky proposal that is inconsistent with the public interest and does not adequately safeguard the health and safety of Ontarians. Does the MECP really want to set the stage for another Grassy Narrows mercury disaster? Instead, the MECP should be focusing on improving the TRA and its regulations to better protect communities.

Continue reading →

Hydrocarbon Pipelines Added to Table of Drinking Water Threats – EBR-013-1839 and 1840

By Linda Heron on Tuesday, February 20th, 2018
Posted in Clean Water Act, Environmental Registry, ORA Submissions, Pipelines, Pollution, Regulatory, Regulatory Submissions, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Water Quality

ORA would like to point out that the proposed list does not address an in-water pipeline scenario, it only addresses pipelines above, below and under a water body. Therefore, it is extremely important that the following be added:

Recommendation 1:

Continue reading →

EBR 012-8760- Ontario’s Proposal on Reducing Phosphorus to Minimize Algal Blooms in Lake Erie

By Linda Heron on Monday, November 21st, 2016
Posted in Environmental Registry, Joint, ORA Submissions, Pollution, Water Quality

lake-erie-algae-4[2]

We see this proposal as necessary step toward fulfilling the commitment the Ontario Legislature made through the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015 to set target(s) for reducing algal blooms within two years of the legislation’s passage. Further comments about the framing of the proposed target are included below.

Continue reading →

Simon Lake Community wants Reprieve from Algae

By Linda Heron on Friday, October 7th, 2016
Posted in Algae, Climate Change, Heavy Metal Contamination, Pollution, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Stormwater, Urban Development, Vermilion River, Waste Water Treatment Facilities, Water Quality

algae1

Simon Lake – Summer 2009

The VRS clearly recognizes the serious concerns of the SLCSG, however; we urge caution in the City’s approach to mitigating the algae issue. VRS agrees that action must be taken by the City of Sudbury to resolve the long-standing issue of algae blooms once and for all; however, we differ in the recommended approach.

Continue reading →

Inspecting the Springbank Dam gates, Thames River

By Linda Heron on Tuesday, July 14th, 2015
Posted in Dams, Media, Pollution, Removal, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Springbank Dam, Thames River, Video, Water Quality

The City of London inspected the gates of the failed Springbank Dam, on the Thames River, City of London.  Around $ 7 million in upgrades, including the installation of the steel gates that would make the dam easier to operate, were nearly complete in 2008 when one of the four gates was dislocated during testing. The Thames River has been flowing unimpeded through the dam ever since.  A lawsuit is in the works.

“(The Thames) is actually getting healthier ever single year (the dam) has been left open,” said Rob Huber, president of the TRAA, told the Londoner in June. “The neat thing about what’s going on in London is we’ve actually (had an opportunity) to see what would happen if the dam wasn’t there for the first time in (over) 80 years.” Article here.

This drone flight shows the sludge already beginning to back up behind the gate that was lifted into place on Monday, the 13th of July.  There are two upstream wastewater treatment facilities releasing treated, and sometimes untreated, effluent into the Thames.

Start of Summer Sparks Urgent Call to Action on Lake Erie Nutrient Crisis – Joint Letter

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, June 10th, 2015
Posted in Algae, Government, Joint, ORA Submissions, Pollution, River Concerns, Water Quality

Chicago, IL (June 2, 2015) – As the summer season begins around the lakes, more than 50 groups sent a joint letter to the governors and premiers of the Great Lakes states and provinces urging action to ensure the lakes, especially western Lake Erie, are free of harmful algal blooms that threaten the region’s economy, drinking water and way of life. The region’s leaders will be meeting in Quebec City, Quebec for the Leadership Summit of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, hosted by the Council of Great Lakes Governors, on June 12-14, 2015.

Download (PDF, 31KB)