[All] Fw: GRCA News: Draft Source Protection Plan for Grand River watershed available for public comment

[Louisette Lanteigne]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Dave Schultz <dschultz at grandriver.ca>
To: 
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 10:34:23 AM
Subject: GRCA News: Draft Source Protection Plan for Grand River watershed available for public comment
 

 
 
Grand River Conservation Authority
GRCA NEWS
 
 
Monday, Aug. 20, 2012
Release on receipt
Draft Source Protection Plan for Grand River watershed available for public comment
A plan to protect the sources of water for municipal drinking water systems in the Grand River watershed is now available for public comment until Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012.
The Draft Source Protection Plan outlines the policies and programs needed to protect municipal wells and surface water intakes from contamination.
The plan is available online at www.sourcewater.ca and will also be available for viewing at municipal and First Nation offices throughout the Grand River watershed.
A series of public meetings will be held in September to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the plan and to comment on it. Written comments can also be submitted until Wednesday Oct. 3. (See below for details on the meetings and how to submit written comments).
This is the first of two rounds of public consultation on the plan. A second round will be held later this year. After that, it will be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment for approval.
The publication of the plan is the result of more than five years of work done under the Clean Water Act. The Act was passed in 2006 in response to the Walkerton tainted water tragedy.
The Source Protection Plan outlines policies and programs to protect the sources of municipal drinking water serving more than 650,000 in the Grand River watershed. There are 45 municipal water systems and one First Nation system. Those systems get their water from about 190 wells, four river intakes and one Lake Erie intake.
The Draft Source Protection Plan:
·         identifies vulnerable areas where drinking water sources face a risk of contamination,
·         identifies significant threats to drinking water sources, and
·         outlines policies and programs to reduce the risk posed by significant threats, and to prevent new ones from developing.
The plan uses a variety of “tools” to protect water sources such as municipal zoning bylaws, negotiated risk management plans, incentive programs and educational programs.
The work of developing the Source Protection Plan was led by the Lake Erie Region Source Protection Committee. It is a multi-stakeholder committee with representatives from throughout the Lake Erie Source Protection Region which includes the Grand River, Kettle Creek, Catfish Creek and Long Point Region watersheds.
The committee worked closely with municipal officials to develop the plans and policies that are included in the plan.
Owners of land where significant threats to water sources have been identified will also be notified of the public meetings and their opportunity to comment on the draft plan.
Public meetings
Public meetings will give people the opportunity to learn more about the plan and provide comments. All meetings are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
·         Monday, Sept. 17 – Grand Valley: Grand Valley Public Library, 4 Amaranth St. E.
·         Tuesday, Sept. 18 – Guelph: Room 112, City Hall, 1 Carden St.
·         Wednesday, Sept. 19 – Fergus: Aboyne Hall, Wellington County Museum and Archives, 536 Wellington Rd. 18
·         Wednesday, Sept. 19 – Paris: Banquet Hall, Brant Sports Complex, 944 Powerline Rd. (at Rest Acres Rd.)
·         Thursday, Sept. 20 – Brantford: Best Western Brant Park Inn, 19 Holiday Dr.
·         Thursday, Sept. 20 – Cambridge: GRCA office, 400 Clyde Rd.
·         Monday, Sept. 24 – Waterloo: Waterloo Region Emergency Services Training and Research Complex (WRESTECH), 1010 Erb’s Rd.
Written comments
·         E-mail: comments at sourcewater.ca
·         Fax:     519-621-4945
·         Mail:     Martin Keller, Source Protection Program Manager
               c/o Grand River Conservation Authority
            400 Clyde Rd., Cambridge ON N1R 5W6
 
-30-
 
Further information:
Dave Schultz, GRCA Manager of Communications
Phone 519-621-2763 x2273  |  Cell 519-658-3896  |  E-mail dschultz at grandriver.ca  |  Web www.grandriver.ca
 
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·         More details are available in the Newsroom at: http://www.grandriver.ca/Newsroom/News.cfm?id=376 
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