[All] Moraine Updates and News

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Waterloo Moraine and Environmental Commissioner's ReportThe Environmental Commissioner of Ontario's Staff have sent their annual report to the publisher to be printed up. Once that is done, Gord Miller, the Commissioner, will present his report to Queens Park. One of the topics to be covered will include his response regarding how the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Ministry of Natural Resouces have handled the Request for Review for a Waterloo Moraine Protection Act. The MOE's final report DECLINED to support a Moraine Act so it will be interesting to see what Gord Miller has to say on that topic. Already he has voiced strong criticism in his previous reviews stating that the MOE and MNR delayed their response beyond a reasonable time frame and that it is well within the mandate of the MNR to SUPPORT a formal review on this matter even though the MNR declined to do so. I'll let you know when the latest report goes
 public.
Ontario Ombudsman & West Side Lands investigationThe Ontario Ombudsman's Office reviewed the issue of the work commencing on Greyerbiehl portion of the West Side Lands prior to the testing secured by way of the Ontario Municipal Board Process. Being limited in jurisdiction, all they could technically do was review how the complaints were handled by Provincial officials, mainly the MOE and the MNR. 
The conclusion was that the MOE and MNR have no mandate to assure compliance to Ontario Municipal Board Rulings so even if environmental damages take place, it is considered a planning matter: not their jurisdiction. The case on those two agencies has since been closed but a new case has been opened. 
I have requested that the Ombudsman's Office seek a formal response from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding the non compliance shown by the City of Waterloo for permitting work before the testing is completed. I have notified them but to date I have no proper response to the many letters/emails sent so a new file has been opened to facilitate this. I have also made a formal request for the Ombudsman's Staff to contact both the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as well as the Attorney General's Office to clarify the process of how to establish a new law in order to secure a reasonable measure of enforcement to secure compliance to Ontario Municipal Board rulings. Once we know which department to appeal to then I can approach a provincial politician to create the law to make enforcement possible. The West Side Lands is an excellent case example to show why such a law is needed so if we can do that, it will help secure
 compliance for OMB rulings all across Ontario from there on.
St. Catherines and the power of public intervention
St.Catherine recently approved a motion calling on Dalton McGuinty to stop coal energy unless absolutely needed. (Same motion that Kitchener recently passed) The motion was introduced to council by Ontario Clean Air Alliance but St. Catherine's City Staff did not support the motion. To view their report visit here: 
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/node/870

City of St. Catherine Council were going to support their staff but after the Clean Air Alliance blew the whistle on the staff report,  council received a flurry of emails and as a result they voted in FAVOR of the motion under public pressure. Details here:
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/node/871
OPA corrects Solar Power Payouts for FarmersThe Ontario Power Authority (OPA) had proposed to cut the rate for ground mounted solar power from 80.2 ¢/kWh 
to 58.8 ¢/kWh – a steep 27 per cent reduction. This would have hurt many people who already purchased their systems based on the original rate of return before the price change was announced. After public outcry the OPA has agreed to NOT retroactively change the original rates for people who signed on during the MicroFIT program and a new rate of will be 64.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh) and will be 
applied to those who submitted applications as of July 2, 2010 onwards. 
Water Quality Varies Across Canada
A new report produced by Ecojustice examines the state of Canada's Drinking Water and makes recommendations for new policies to support federal "enforceable" water quality standards. To view the report visit here:
http://www.ecojustice.ca/publications/seeking-water-justice
>From Mega Dump to Farmland
Remember site 41 where they wanted to build a dump over a pristine aquifer system around Lake Simcoe? On August 30, Tiny Township is holding an information session regarding the rezoning of the official draft plan and zoning bylaws to convert site 41 from open dumping site to agricultural lands. Great victory there!

Environment Canada's newest animation of  Canadian Climate Change Predictions can be viewed online here:
http://ec.gc.ca/sc-cs/default.asp?lang=En&n=0EC06FB9-1#1

Have a good one everybody!
Lulu :0)

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