[All] Fw: Melancthon and West Side Lands: SAME ISSUES

Sun May 1 00:08:30 EDT 2011

FYI

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
To: Dave Schultz <dschultz at grandriver.ca>; Colleen Sargeant 
<CSargeant at regionofwaterloo.ca>; keby at regionofwaterloo.ca;  Tim (MAH)Ryall 
<Tim.Ryall at ontario.ca>; ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org; 
jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org
Cc: brenda.halloran at waterloo.ca; scott.witmer at waterloo.ca; 
karen.scian at waterloo.ca; angela.vieth at waterloo.ca; diane.freeman at waterloo.ca; 
mark.whaley at waterloo.ca; jeff.henry at waterloo.ca; melissa.durrell at waterloo.ca; 
commissioner at eco.on.ca
Sent: Sat, April 30, 2011 11:57:38 PM
Subject: Melancthon and West Side Lands: SAME ISSUES

Dear Hon. Ministers and Council members

Mr. Schultz, please relay this to the Lake Erie Source Water Protection 
Committee for their information. This in my view is a matter of absolute and 
qualified privilege.

In the attachments you will find the response of the David Suzuki Foundation in 
regards to the Highland Quarry application in Melancthon. 

The letter by  the David Suzuki Foundation notes:
-lack of reasonable data to protect habitat for species at risk
-lack of reasonable data to to assess impacts on fish communities
-lack of data to reasonably determine groundwater and surface water impacts.

These issues parallel the same issues I addressed at the Ontario Municipal Board 
(OMB) in regards to the work done by Stantec in the West Side Lands. (OMB appeal 
PL071044). The affidavits of my experts are in the attachments for your 
reference along with the signed off Expert's Minutes which resolved all the 
issues.  

In regards to Stantec's work at Mount Nemo the JART report revealed the same 
issues. I have raised similar concerns in regards to the Capital Paving Quarry 
application in West Montrose, Doon South in Kitchener and other proposals in 
Waterloo Region involving this same firm. 

I don't feel comfortable knowing that Stantec is a sponsor of the Grand River 
Conservation Authority and that the GRCA in turn has the duty to review 
Stantec's work in regards to watershed studies etc. This is a conflict of 
interest.Their studies often form the base line knowledge that the GRCA relies 
on. If the data is poor, so to are the decisions we make using this poor data.

The Expert Minutes of OMB appeal PL071044, mandated the installation of mini 
piezometers in Clair Creek yet the City of Waterloo and GRCA authorized work 
that resulted in  Stantec dewatering Clair Creek prior to the installation of 
the mini- piezometer. Dr. Dean Fitzgerald stated this was a direct violation of 
the OMB ruling and I contacted the Department of Fisheries (DFO) to respond. The 
DFO contacted the GRCA who stated an investigation was not warranted. I do not 
feel comfortable having the GRCA control what issues get investigated by the DFO 
or not,  especially when the complaint issued is about their own approval 
process and the work by their sponsor, Stantec.

I request a review on the activities of Stantec to see  if their data has 
resulted in bona fide violations to our existing legislation. If their lack of 
due diligence is creating situations that violate existing policies, we need to 
cease this practise. The issues I raised at the Ontario Municipal Board are the 
same issues repeating over and over in other areas and this indicates a system 
wide issue that must be addressed. Bad data produces bad planning results and 
should something go wrong with water supplies, firms like Stantec stand to 
profit from remediation contracts and possible pipeline projects. Firms like 
this could in theory, craft their own destruction for profit scenarios. We need 
controls in place to make sure this doesn't happen. 

Please inform me as to what protocol I could use to secure a review of this 
firm's practises. 

Thank you kindly for your time. 

Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo Ontario
N2V 2L2
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