Category Archives: Legislation
Latest on Nestle Legal Battle to Keep Drought Time Water Pumping Restrictions in Place
Last fall, the Ministry of the Environment (“MOE”) renewed Nestlé’s Permit To Take Water for the well site which it operates in Hillsburgh. As part of this renewal, the MOE placed mandatory restrictions on the amount of water that Nestlé would be allowed to pump during drought conditions. Nestlé appealed these restrictions to the Environmental Review Tribunal.
In February of this year, Wellington Water Watchers (“WWW”) partnered up with the Council of Canadians (“COC”) to seek Party status in the appeal, with both groups receiving representation from Ecojustice. At the preliminary hearing, despite the objections of both Nestlé and the … Read the rest
A Letter from the Friends of Hillsburgh Water
Last spring you attended a showing of “BOTTLED LIFE” at the Erin Legion and I felt you deserved an update.
A Roadmap for the Future of the Grand River Watershed – Wednesday Workshops
A Roadmap for the Future of the Grand River Watershed: Grand River Water Management Plan Wednesday Workshop Series
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
January 23, 2013: Taking action to improve water quality
February 6, 2013: Securing our water supplies
February 20, 2013: Adapting to climate change
The partners of the Grand River Water Management Plan are hosting a series of discussions about key issues affecting the watershed and the actions needed to address them. The feedback received will be used by the partners of the Water Management Plan in their decisions about the actions needed to maintain a healthy watershed.
Sign … Read the rest
No Mandatory Drought Restrictions for Nestle?
On September 28, 2012, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) renewed Nestlé Waters Canada’s Permit to Take Water in Hillsburgh, Ontario, at rate of 1.1 million litres per day for five years. On October 11, 2012, Nestle Waters filed an appeal to challenge provisions of the permit that would restrict their water-taking operations during times of drought.
The Wellington Water Watchers has read with interest and is alarmed by Nestle Waters’ justification for this appeal. The terms of the permit and the grounds for the appeal can be found at the following link: http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTE2MzU0&statusId=MTc2MjI2&language=en
While couched in legalistic argumentation, the … Read the rest
WWW’s Response to Passage of OPA 48
Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 48 is the third of three phases in the City of Guelph’s Official Plan Review. The province of Ontario’s broad-reaching Places to Grow Act necessitated a large-scale overhaul of the City’s Official Plan. Hence the City’s decision to amend the Official Plan in three phases:
Phase 1: OPA 39, adopted in June 2009, dealt with Growth Plan conformity.
Phase 2: OPA 42, adopted in July 2010, dealt with the Natural Heritage System. This is the amendment which contains the City’s provisions for environmental protection, including our treasured river systems and green corridors. OPA 42 is currently … Read the rest
WWW’s Letter to City Council on OPA 48
The following letter was sent to Mayor Farbridge and City Hall regarding the proposed update to Guelph’s Official Plan (OPA 48):
June 5, 2012
City Council
City Hall
1 Carden St.
Guelph, ON
N1H 3A1
Dear Mayor Farbridge and City Council,
On behalf of the board of Wellington Water Watchers, I would like to add our support for the inclusion of strong, clear and explicit protection of our natural waterways within the City’s Official Plan.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this issue further.
Sincerely,
Patrick Cieslar
Board Member
Wellington Water Watchers… Read the rest
Request for Review to the MOE
The Wellington Water Watchers in partnership with the Council of Canadians and with full endorsement from The Polaris Institute, submitted a Request for Review (RFR) to the Environment Commissioner in March. This RFR focused on the need to revamp the permit to take water (pttw) process as it applies to the bottled water industry and challenged the MOE’s statement of environmental values that we believe were not being honoured. Other concerns centred on the continuous flow of trucks and related pollution and lowering of quality of life for those affected, and the long term effects of climate change on water … Read the rest
City of Guelph Master Plan
Many have contacted us with concerns that rivers and waterways have not been mentioned or been given due consideration in the recent proposed Official Plan update. We have submitted a letter stating that we believe rivers and waterways must being fully included in this process.
See the following article from the Guelph Mercury: http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/734879–group-that-supports-guelph-rivers-questions-official-plan
Also see WWW’s response and letter to city council … Read the rest
Friends of Hillsburgh Water pack council chambers to address Nestle permit
by Mike Robinson
http://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/index.cfm?page=detail&itmno=12103
ERIN
It appears Hillsburgh Water has a lot of friends.
On May 1, council chambers were again packed with members of Friends of Hillsburgh Water (FHW) and those interested in the Nestle Waters proposal to extend its local water drawing permit by 10 years.
The delegation appeared to have a supportive contingent on council; however, the final decision ultimately does not lie with council.
Brochures distributed by FHW stated, “We’re a group of town of Erin citizens acting to protect our local water, ensuring there’s a pure, abundant supply of this precious resource now and for … Read the rest
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