The Rural Voice, 2001-02, Page 39News
Plenty of water
protection legislation
already on the books
speakers says
The expected Agricultural
Operations Standards Act may have
been delayed by haggling between
various provincial ministries but
there is already enough legislation on
the books to penalize farmers who
pollute water, Bill MacMillan, an
OMAFRA engineer specializing in
water issues told a Grey -Bruce
Farmers' Week audience.
MacMillan sent a shiver through
cattlemen at the January 3 Beef Day
when he told them that the federal
fisheries act could be interpreted so
strictly that one cattle beast wading
into a stream with manure on its hoof
could be illegal. Charges under the
fisheries act can bring a jail sentence
of up to 10 years and a fine of up to
$1 million, he said.
And, he warned, the federal
government is becoming more active
in protecting inland waterways,
putting a team of fisheries officers
into eastern Ontario this past year.
While the new Ontario legislation
will likely include provisions against
winter spreading of manure,
MacMillan said existing legislation
already can be used against a farmer.
"If you do winter spread (manure)
and it gets into a water body and it
can be traced back to you, you can be
charged under several acts," he
warned.
MacMillan said it was unlikely
that the Agricultural Operations
Standards Act, originally expected
before the legislature recessed for
Christmas, will now come before the
new session begins in March.
Discussions are underway between
OMAFRA, the Ministry of
Environment and Ministry of
Municipal Affairs and Housing to
sort out jurisdictional conflicts.
He did outline some of the areas
the legislation is likely to address
including the siting, capacity and
construction standards of agricultural
buildings. Demonstrating some of the
complications in the new legislation,
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FEBRUARY 2001 35