<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><br><br>--- On <b>Wed, 9/1/10, Louisette Lanteigne <i><butterflybluelu@rogers.com></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu@rogers.com><br>Subject: Fw: Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre<br>To: Bezan.J@parl.gc.ca, Bigras.B@parl.gc.ca, McGuinty.D@parl.gc.ca, Armstrong.S@parl.gc.ca, Ouellet.C@parl.gc.ca, warawm7@parl.gc.ca, Calkins.B@parl.gc.ca, Scarpaleggia.F@parl.gc.ca, Watson.J@parl.gc.ca, Duncan.L@parl.gc.ca, Trudeau.J@parl.gc.ca, Woodworth.S@parl.gc.ca<br>Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 12:04 AM<br><br><div id="yiv1596996712"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="font: inherit;" valign="top">Dear Ministers<div><br></div><div>I strongly believe this data may be of
value to the Federal Committee reviewing the Tar Sands Fresh Water issues. <br>
<br>
Below is a correspondence I sent to the Prime Minster followed by the
response I received from his office. Reasonably I understand that
aggregates are managed by the provinces but water is a cross
jurisdictional issue. If fish are federally protected, than it stands to
reason that water should be too. It's a cross jurisdictional resource which passes through provincial and national boundaries.<br>
<br>
The State of Aggregate Resource in Ontario Study (SAROS) recently published by
the MNR, shows a strong industry bias that only values the worth of
aggregate as an extractable resource without placing a natural capital
value on the function of aggregates left in place. Aggregates play a key roll to municipal water supplies but there is no regard to maintaining flow
and flow rates to either surface or groundwater features because
the review was isolated to the mandate of the MNR as
promotor and regulator of crown land resources. The Study did not include the
participation of the MOE, Ministry of Agriculture or Ministry of
Fisheries therefore it negates the implications of aggregate extraction to other existing economic systems outside of the MNR's jurisdiction such as agriculture. <br>
<br>
To view the complete version of the SAROS report with reviews of the report as provided by Gravel Watch visit this link:<div><br></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.gravelwatch.org/saros.htm">http://www.gravelwatch.org/saros.htm</a><br><br></div><div>From what I have observed, engineering firms stand to profit if the EIS studies are insufficient and lead to expensive remediation projects or the need for water pipelines. There is money in destruction and those firms know how to craft the results they want by skewing test times, methodologies etc. The raw data as provided by these firms should be carefully scrutinized. </div><div><br></div><div>I believe if we establish a reasonable, federally enforceable criteria for Environmental Impact Studies and monitoring programs, it can go along way to preventing risks. Test times, methodologies, systems of measurements could all be standardized for the sake
of clarity and due
diligence and we need a reasonable statue of limitations on the age of data used.</div><div><br></div><div>In our area I've seen EIS reports by Stantec that have excluded the last ten years worth of temperature readings (regarding Capital Paving quarry in West Montross), studies that have ignored wetlands, spring thaw water levels, the absence of reasonable benthic data and the fact that projects would exceed MOE levels for chloride. (West side Lands: Waterloo ON) </div><div>
<br>In Waterloo Region we are currently facing an <span class="yiv1596996712ital-inline"><span id="yiv1596996712hotword"><span style="cursor: default; background-color: transparent;" id="yiv1596996712hotword">imminent</span></span></span>
threat to our municipal groundwater supply as aggregate proposals and development encroach upon our primary recharge areas and within the capture zone of the
Grand River. To view the aggregate maps and the attempts by our
municipal council to curb the potential destruction of our aquifers by
aggregates, please visit here:<br>
<br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://waterloomoraineact.com/aggregate.htm">http://waterloomoraineact.com/aggregate.htm</a><br><div><br></div><div>According reports by the Grand River Conservation Authority, the Grand River supports the same gross national revenue as the province of Nova Scotia. The Grand is a Heritage River that recharges Lake Erie. Should aggregates disrupt the flow and flow rates to Erie many communities would be at risk along the way from either floods, drought or fluxing contamination levels. A proposed pipeline to Erie would open the door to far greater toxicological risks. </div><div><br></div><div>Stantec was hired to do reports on our municipal wells after Walkerton in the Region of Waterloo. They get the remediation contracts when things go bad (the Greenbrook Wells) and currently they are doing the feasibility study for a Lake Erie pipeline. This firm is hired by the conservation authority to do the
Laurel Creek Watershed review and
later hired by developers to build upon these same lands. I took them to the Ontario Municipal Board to challenge their work in regards to three subdivision proposals known as the West Side Lands in Waterloo and won concessions to secure new tests after they signed off on the fact their work was insufficient. In spite of the Board ruling, construction by Stantec began just months after before the testing took place as approved by City Staff. There is no enforcement for OMB rulings outside the courts and after spending $27,000 to secure the OMB ruling, I had no money left to seek compliance.</div><div><br></div><div>Stantec sponsors the Grand River Conservation Authority who is delegated with the task of reviewing Stantec's EIS studies during planning processes. Stantec is deeply involved with the Lake Erie Source Water Protection Committee and they are major sponsors of the University of Waterloo. How can we as citizens reasonably protect
our water supply when this single firm has such an overwhelming monopoly on water management issues in our area. How can we protect the moraine from those who could profit from it's destruction? </div><div><br></div><div>We need a way to assure reasonable science prevails.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you kindly for your time.<br>
<br>
Louisette Lanteigne<br>
700 Star Flower Ave.<br>
Waterloo Ontario<br>
N2V 2L2<br><br>--- On <b>Tue, 8/31/10, Prime Minister/Premier ministre <i><pm@pm.gc.ca></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Prime Minister/Premier ministre <pm@pm.gc.ca><br>Subject: Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre<br>To: "Louisette Lanteigne" <butterflybluelu@rogers.com><br>Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 3:10 PM<br><br><div class="yiv1596996712plainMail">Dear Ms. Lanteigne:<br><br>On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail.<br><br>While you may be assured that careful consideration has been given to the situation you have described, the matter you have raised does not fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government. You would be best advised, therefore, to pursue your enquiries with the appropriate provincial authority.<br><br>I regret that I am unable to
provide you
with a more favourable response.<br><br>P. Monteith<br>Executive Correspondence Officer<br>for the Prime Minister's Office<br>Agent de correspondance<br>de la haute direction<br>pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre<br><br>>>> From : Louisette Lanteigne <a rel="nofollow">butterflybluelu@rogers.com</a> Received : 06 Jul 2010 11:35:05 AM >>><br><br>>>> Subject : >>>><br><br>Dear Hon. Prime Minister and Ministers.<br>The SAROS report, State of Aggregate Resources in Ontario Study, was published as a comprehensive summery report on the Ontario MNR <br>website but the six individual papers that this document was based was not released to the public so I used Freedom of Information to secure their release. <br><br>So far only the first of the six
papers is on <br>line and it is titled Aggregate Consumption and Demand in Ontario. The link of the <br>page is here however it might not work as a link.<br><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@aggregates/documents/document/stdprod_067712.pdf">http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@aggregates/documents/document/stdprod_067712.pdf</a><br><br>If <br>you have problems viewing the link provided do a GOOGLE search for the term:<br><br>Saros<br><br> Paper 1, Aggregate Consumption and Demand.<br><br>(Please note: If you do a <br>Rogers Yahoo search for the term SAROS Paper 1 - Aggregate Consumption <br>and Demand you will not find <br>it. I know the Google link works.)<br><br>In<br><br><br><br><br> my view this first paper clearly undervalues the following:<br><br>-water <br>conservation as a means to offset <br>need for 'new' supplies. (this report is pipeline oriented)<br>-the
<br>value of
aggregates for the natural capital function they serve ie: <br>hydrogeology<br>-the value of aggregates for farmlands, top soil <br>and agricultural water resources<br>-the importance of maintaining <br>natural <br>topography to maintain flow and flow rates to surface and groundwater <br>resources<br>-groundwater impacts, <br>contamination risks, disturbances in cross jurisdictional flow and flow <br>rates etc.<br>-protection of biodiversity, fisheries etc.<br>-protection<br> of the Great Lakes water volumes, water quality etc.<br><br>The absence of such <br>information included in the above list poses a direct risk to municipal <br>water supplies if we persue aggregate interests without regard to these <br>variables. As a result I have shared this document with members of <br>the Lake Erie Source Water Protection Committee for their consideration <br>as well as the Grand <br>River Conservation Authority's board of <br>directors, Regional Staff and
various provincial and federal ministries for their consideration. (MNR, MOE, Min. of <br>Agriculture and MMAH).<br><br>In my view it is dangerous to isolate aggregate interests from the needs of other ministries. One cannot scientifically separate aggregates from it's function in providing groundwater and surface water resources. We must take reasonable measures to maintain current economic systems, public health, long <br>term food and water security and our agricultural industries. We cannot <br>let this provincial document color the long term view of aggregate management in Ontario if it does not reflect a <br>balanced approach to meet long term provincial and federal objectives. <br><br>The root problem is the MNR is both the <br>promoter and protector of our crown land resources and we need to <br>secure objectivity and facilitate dialog with other ministries in order to mitigate risk and assure <br>compliance to fulfill the goals and objectives
of provincial and federal legislation.<br><br>As it is currently structured, each <br>ministry works in isolation to one another and with this type of <br>fracturing of services and responsibilities, we're missing the big <br>picture risks. We can't allow the actions of one ministry to circumvent <br>the goals and objectives of another and when it comes to this particular<br> report, the economic, sociological and health and environmental implications are enormous. <br>Please make sure there is a<br> proper ministry review of the SAROS report and all six supporting <br>documents to be reviewed by VARIOUS ministries for their input before <br>the provincial MNR endorses this document in full. Unless that is done, our water <br>supplies and communities dependent on it are at immediate risk. The Grand River supports the same gross national revenue as the province of Nova Scotia (Source: GRCA). It is a matter of national economic
interest.<br><br>Please<br><br> note the MOE was not part of the discussion regarding the formation of <br>this report.<br><br>Thank you kindly for your time.<br><br>Louisette <br>Lanteigne<br>700 Star Flower Ave.<br>Waterloo Ontario<br>N2V 2L2<br><br></div></blockquote></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote></td></tr></table>