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National Observer
5 days ago
- Business
- National Observer
Ford government's proposed water rules will suck Ontario dry, critics say
The Ford government is facing backlash from advocates and water experts over proposed changes to Ontario's Water Resources Act that would remove key oversight and public input from the province's water-taking permit system. The changes would amend long-standing rules by allowing the transfer of these permits between companies if the new operator draws water from the same location, in the same amount and for the same purpose. The law requires a permit for any company taking more than 50,000 litres of water per day from lakes, rivers, streams or groundwater, for use in agriculture, gravel mining and water bottling. Under current rules, any permit transfer requires a new application, public review, environmental assessment and First Nations consultation. The proposed changes would remove all of these steps. Theresa McClenaghan, executive director of the Canadian Environmental Law Association, said large water-users are usually required to provide financial assurances in case they shut down and restoration is needed. With a permit transfer, it's unclear if those protections would still apply. McClenaghan said under the proposed changes, local communities wouldn't know the new company's environmental record — and if it had past violations, the public wouldn't be able to raise any concerns. 'Any reputable water-taker would want the confidence of the surrounding community and not be causing these impacts,' McClenaghan told Canada's National Observer. People should have the right to know whether a new operator has the technical skills and proper equipment to manage water-taking safely and avoid harming nearby properties or ecosystems, she added. Under current rules, any permit transfer requires a new application, public review, environmental assessment and First Nations consultation. The proposed changes would remove all of these steps. The province says the move is meant to 'streamline' the permitting process and reduce administrative delays. But McCenaghan says safety is more important than speed when issuing permits. Activities such as drilling for water, pumping from aquifers, or taking water from surface sources can have serious consequences for ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Water-taking in Ontario has previously sparked strong public backlash, especially around bottled water. A permit renewal for Nestlé's former bottling plant near Guelph drew thousands of public comments. Polling suggests that over 68 per cent of Ontarians — across all political affiliations — supported phasing out water bottling permits entirely. Jana Levison, an associate professor of water resources engineering at the University of Guelph, said Ontario's water systems are already under significant stress from climate change, land use changes, and population growth. She believes this makes it even more important to carefully assess water-taking permits. 'We need more analysis of cumulative water takings,' she said. 'Permits shouldn't be assessed in isolation — especially in high-use areas where water demand is already heavy.' Levison also raised concerns about gaps in Ontario's water-taking reporting system, saying the province still lacks a clear understanding of how much water is being extracted overall. McClenaghan says while the changes would benefit companies, they pose clear risks to local communities and the environment, and rushing the process puts these protections at risk. Water-taking permits often include conditions that require companies to reduce water use during droughts or if they interfere with nearby wells. In some cases, companies may be ordered to stop water-taking completely, she added. Permits often allow more water than a company uses. If a new operator starts using the full amount, it could cause greater environmental damage in some areas, she said. Operational changes, such as more truck traffic, longer hours or new routes, can affect local communities, and the public should be informed before any permit is transferred, she added. Ontario does not have a public record of how many companies currently hold water-taking permits, how many applications are in process — for new permits or transfers — or how much water is being taken each day. Canada's National Observer reached out to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. 'Water is for life, not for profit' More than 1,800 people have sent letters opposing the proposed changes through a campaign launched by Water Watchers. The group's executive director, Arlene Slocombe, has spent decades advocating for water protection. She says water-taking permits should not be treated as transferable assets. Living just 20 minutes from an area with multiple water-taking permits, including for sand in Guelph Ont., she's heard repeated concerns from residents about dropping well levels and industrial overuse of groundwater. With so many operations drawing water in one area, she says it's nearly impossible to pinpoint who is responsible. Slocombe warns that water is being taken faster than it can naturally recharge. 'That's why we believe the government should be tightening water-taking rules, not loosening them," she said. "If water levels are at risk, we need to prioritize which uses are essential." She sees the move as part of a broader pattern under the Ford government that weakens environmental oversight and cuts public input — as seen in Bill 5 and such proposed projects as Ontario Place and landfill expansions.
Toronto Sun
19-07-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Environmental lawyers demand action on lead in school drinking water
Three of the school boards overseen by Ontario's Ministry of Education reported the highest number of lead exceedances in 2023-24. An investigation has revealed high levels of lead in drinking water at three school boards in Ontario. Photo by Mo Morad / iStock / Getty Images A leading group of environmental lawyers has asked the province to immediately address high levels of lead in drinking water at three school boards now under government control. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'Three of the school boards now overseen by your Ministry … reported the three highest numbers of lead exceedances among school boards in the province in 2023/24,' wrote Theresa McClenaghan and Julie Mutis of The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) in a July 4 letter to Minister of Education Paul Calandra. The province took control of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and Toronto District School Board last month, citing a need for strong leadership in financial management and public accountability after they had reported deficits. In assuming control of four school boards, including the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the province is now 'directly responsible to protect student health at these schools, and they have a duty to show parents how they're going to get lead out of school drinking water,' said Mutis, a CELA community outreach worker in an interview. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last year, an Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) investigation found half of all public schools in Ontario have logged lead levels in drinking water exceeding the federal safety guideline at least once in the last five years. Lead is a neurotoxin with potent effects on the developing brains of children, who absorb it at a rate four times greater than adults. It is linked to decreased IQ, a weakened attention span, motor skill challenges and behavioural issues. There is no amount of lead that is considered safe, according to the World Health Organization. The Ministry's supervisors, who were announced on June 27, have faced criticism for a lack of transparency and no clear plans communicated to parents or trustees. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There has yet to be clear communications from the supervisor directly to us as trustees in terms of what we do for any issue, and never mind any specific issue,' said Matias de Dovitiis, trustee of TDSB's fourth ward, when asked about how this shift in supervision could impact action on lead in schools' water. 'We received instructions not to respond directly to parents or communicate with staff.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Parents are being given 'the equivalent of a 1-800 number' in response to their inquiries, he said. 'I'm very concerned that parents won't have access to people that are motivated to advocate for them,' he said. Appointed supervisors for the Toronto, Ottawa-Carleton and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School boards did not respond to requests for comment through the Ministry of Education. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board provided the IJB questions with a written statement saying 'any fixture exceeding provincial lead standards is immediately taken out of service and remediated. We follow all provincial regulations to ensure these locations are safe before re-opening them for consumption.' The IJB investigation found Ottawa schools and daycares had some of the highest lead levels in the province. More than half of all water tests conducted between 2019 and 2023 exceeded the federal safety limit for lead in at least 44 Ottawa schools. Ontario's lead safety guideline is 10 parts per billion (ppb) — twice the level of the federal government's standard of 5 ppb. Chandra Pasma, NDP member of provincial parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean and opposition education critic, said the provincial government 'won't even acknowledge that the standard for lead in drinking water in Ontario is not based on best science.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She said the ministry 'could take action today if they wanted to, and I haven't heard anything from the supervisors or from the Minister acknowledging that our schools have this challenge, and any steps that they're going to take to remediate it.' The Conservative Party did not respond to a request for comment. The Ministry of Education provides funding to the province's schools for capital repairs. Last year, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario estimated that bringing all schools into good repair would cost $21.7 billion over 10 years. The government's budget had an estimated funding shortfall of $12.7 billion over a decade, the report concluded. While CELA advocates for replacing lead-laced plumbing and fixtures completely, Pasma gave the example of a cheaper, temporary fix used in the United States. Michigan's Filter First Act was signed into Law in 2023 and requires schools and child care centres to install lead reducing filters on all drinking water sources. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Providing filters for every tap used for drinking water is significantly less costly and less time consuming than replacing all of the infrastructure,' said Pasma. Pasma's own children attended a school with failed lead tests. She had been sending them to school with water bottles already, and telling them 'no drinking at school'. 'We're in this situation now where parents who know can take steps to protect their kids,' she said. 'Other parents I'm sure would, but they don't know.' The IJB has produced a searchable online database of all school and daycare lead test results over the past five years which is available here. — The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health is a collaborative investigative newsroom supported by Postmedia that partners with academics, researchers and journalists while training the next generation of investigative reporters. MMA Toronto & GTA Tennis World Celebrity
