[All] Fw: Re: Fuel Risks to Erie and SAROS: We must value Aggregates & Water

Wed May 12 13:21:04 EDT 2010

--- On Tue, 5/11/10, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: Re: Fuel Risks to Erie and SAROS: We must value Aggregates & Water
To: "Bev Parrott" <bparrott at grandriver.ca>
Cc: tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca, lisa.macleod at pc.ola.org, toby.barrett at pc.ola.org, hhampton-qp at ndp.on.ca, norm.millerco at pc.ola.org, jerry.ouellette at pc.ola.org, norm.sterlingco at pc.ola.org, frank.klees at pc.ola.org, jbradley.mpp at liberal.ola.org, bduguid.mpp at liberal.ola.org, dduncan.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 2:21 PM

In the attachment is the information on how to quickly quantify the value of water resources for planning purposes. The second sheet outlines the process. 

Louisette Lanteigne

--- On Tue, 5/11/10, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: Fuel Risks to Erie and SAROS: We must value Aggregates & Water
To: "Bev Parrott" <bparrott at grandriver.ca>
Cc: tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca, lisa.macleod at pc.ola.org, toby.barrett at pc.ola.org, hhampton-qp at ndp.on.ca, norm.millerco at pc.ola.org, jerry.ouellette at pc.ola.org, norm.sterlingco at pc.ola.org, frank.klees at pc.ola.org, jbradley.mpp at liberal.ola.org, bduguid.mpp at liberal.ola.org, dduncan.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 1:36 PM

Please relay this information to the members of the Lake Erie Source Water Committee and make not of it being received in the minutes of the May 13, 2010 meeting please.

_______________________________________________________ 

Lake Erie at risk of Fuel Spills. 

The oil spill in Mexico is a good example of how quickly things can change when there is a fuel spill. Although drilling isn't allowed on the United States side of Lake Erie, on the Canadian side it is and there are hundreds of natural gas wells and some oil wells off shore on the Ontario side and we are not beyond the risk of serious contamination from spills related to these operations. To see the wells on a map produced by the Ministry of Natural Resources, please visit here: 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/OGSR/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_167105.html 

Upon viewing the map, I would much rather we invest in better water management to maintain our current water supply in Waterloo Region above the red zone than I do investing in a Lake Erie Pipeline located below the red zone. 

Aggregates, water and their value 

The MNR just finished a State of the Aggregate Resources in Ontario Study which will govern the future of aggregate extraction in Ontario and influence the policies of the upcoming Provincial Policy Statement. It can be seen on line here: 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Aggregates/Publication/287375.html 

This report was published independent of the input from the Canadian Geological Survey of Canada and without any participation of the MOE in spite of the overwhelming importance of aggregates in terms of water supplies. Water was barely mentioned in this report at all.  

Way back in the past the Federal Government had control over the mineral resources across Canada.  To please the provinces the government passed control of all mineral resources to the provinces. Water and fish were resources that did not recognize provincial boundaries so the Federal government hung onto jurisdictions concerning these two resources. 

During the SAROS meetings someone did bring up the hydrological functions of undisturbed aggregate and cones of influences dewatering has on the water table but individuals at the meetings dropped the subject as fast as they could as they did not want water involved. The MOE is certainly involved with water, but MOE is more involved towards protecting the water from pollution and although the MOE was supposedly invited to participate in SAROS they did not respond 

Looking at the SAROS report it is fair to state that water and aggregate issues are still not being adequately addressed in Ontario. The MNR appear to have no problem quantifying the economic value of aggregates for extraction but they negate to quantify the value of aggregates left in place that are vital to maintain to secure municipal water resources. Without putting an actual cost value of maintaining the resources in their natural state, we cannot plan appropriately. We’re missing key fiscal data that may place water supplies and our Great Lakes at risk. It’s a multi-national issue. 

In the attachment is a quick example of how we can put a quick value on water and aggregate resources at the local level for land use planning. It was submitted with data to support a Waterloo Moraine Act. Although the MOE reviewed the data, they felt it was not their jurisdiction and/or mandate to address the economic value of water resources. To address this concern I would like or provincial and/or Federal government to implement a reasonable way to provide a value to water and the roll aggregates have in regards to water resources so we can protect our existing infrastructure and municipal water supplies for the long term. 

To see another example of how to quantify the value of natural capital resources, The Pembina Institute conducted a study on the value of the Credit River Watershed. To view the report visit here. http://www.greeneconomics.ca 

Thank you kindly for your time. 

Louisette Lanteigne 
700 Star Flower Ave. 
Waterloo Ontario 
N2V 2L2 
butterflybluelu at rogers.com
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