The Rural Voice, 1978-09, Page 23Environmental study
for Glengowan
It is anticipated that an environmental
assessment study on the proposed Glen-
gowan Dam project will take at least two
years according to Russ Powell,resources
manager of the Upper Thames River
Conservation Authority (UTRCA).
And some time this fall, the public will
/ be given its first opportunity to provide
input into that study.
Powell thought the study would take at
least two years to complete due to the
complexity of the various terms of
reference which will be included.
Powell said that he believes the authority
now has the direction from the province
with regard to the scope and extent of the
study and the Authority must now come up
with the terms of reference within that
framework.
The Authority is going to outside
sources, including experts in the field of
water .management study and getting
suggestions from University departments
to set out the preliminary terms.
"Once we have identified what we think
are the main terms of reference, we will go
to the public to see whether they are
sditable. "
After the public has had its say in the
initial phase of the assessment the UTRCA
will send its findings back to the Ministry
of the Environment to formalize the terms.
"A lot of the work is going to be done by
universities and consulting firms," Powell
said, adding that a great deal of the work
will require the talents of experts in special
fields and that it would take too much time
away from their normal duties for
Authority personnel to be involved in the
study.
Powell said that all of the alternatives
and concerns identified in the "Upper
Thames Basin Study" of 1975 will be
included in the assessment along with new
concerns which have been identified.
That would mean that two alternatives to
the dam, a sewage pipeline to Lake Erie
and tertiary sewage treatment for London
would be explored in more detail along
with questions about loss of farmland,
recreational potential of the dam and
reservoir location and possible alternatives
for flood control in St. Marys.
There may even be a less expensive way
of providing flood protection for St.
Marys," Powell said, mentioning the use
of dikes as one possibility.
•••Attention•••
NEIN McKEE EBRO
4 models to
choose from
350-45 h.p.
460-57 h.p.
470-67 h.p.
480-72 h.p.
SERVICE
for all makes of
Farm Equipment
Location ... 1 mile North of Brucefield on Hwy 4.
ERASER'S
REPAIR SERVICE
Phone 482-9286
Charlie Fraser
Brucefield
Wall says farmers going
deeper in debt
Frank Wall, a director of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture and a fruit
grower near Simcoe, recently stated that
farm debts are skyrocketing because food
prices are low.
Mr. Wall said that farm debts increased
by 15 per cent from 1976 to 1977 and food
prices will have to increase to control the
debt.
Wall said the figures indicated that
farmers are going deeper into debt because
of escalating production cost.
"The only way there can be a decided
change in those figures is through an
increase in the price of food," he said.
Last year, farm debts for Canada were
$9.8 million while income from farms was
$10.17 billion --a 1.3 per cent increase over
1976.
Part of the debt problem has been
caused by farmers borrowing money to buy
more land, Mr. Wall said.
"Farmers don't want to increase their
land holdings. But in 1968, a tractor cost
$4,000 or 55,000 and now it costs $12,000 to
$13,000. So if you can't run it half the time
you need more land."
PLETCH
ELECTRIC
WINGHAM
• Residential
• Farm
• Industrial
• Commercial
Phone Collect
357-1583
THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1978 PG. 23