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Category Archives: Pollution

Erin WWTP: Designation Request for a federal review under the Impact Assessment Act

By Linda Heron on Thursday, February 25th, 2021
Posted in Fisheries, Fisheries, Impact Assessment Act, Joint, ORA Submissions, Pollution, Redside Dace, Regulatory, Regulatory Submissions, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Species at Risk, Water Quality, West Credit River

West Credit River, by Steve Noakes.

The West Credit River subwatershed supports headwater tributaries of the Credit River and is considered the crown jewel of coldwater Brook Trout fisheries in southern Ontario. The entire footprint of the Project, including the network of underground sewers, will result in numerous crossings of first, second and third order streams. Additionally, the West Credit River feeds into the main Credit River at the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. This area is part of the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve (Reserve), home to several sensitive fish species, including the endangered Redside Dace and Atlantic Salmon. Atlantic Salmon, historically extirpated, are being reintroduced as part of the broader Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Recovery Program. This Reserve is within 1 km downstream of the Project’s effluent discharge, and Redside Dace (Schedule 1, Species at Risk Act, 2002), are known to occupy the West Credit River within 4 km downstream of the effluent diffuser.

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Ontario–Recycling is the Last Resort – Joint

By Linda Heron on Monday, August 24th, 2020
Posted in Joint, Land Use, Landfill/Garbage, Plastics, Pollution, Press Release, Recycling, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Toxics, Urban Development, Water Quality

“Recycling” by andyarthur is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Ontarians may have invented the Blue Box, but our current linear, make-use-dispose economy makes it impossible for recycling alone to solve our growing waste problem. Currently, less than seven per cent of Ontario’s waste is recycled through the Blue Box, and 1 the province sends over 8 million tonnes (70 per cent)2 of trash to landfills and incinerators every year.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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