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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-08-22, Page 20BUYING FOR A MINOR IS A MAJOR OFFENCE Supply n1,.6hol to o mind csnci you're riskureg heoith and ,,,o;ery You obi:, p rc, :vie year 6r1 ioa and up to 32050,000 In l•inet,. If you're old to boy cilcol-,o1 lettc,•lly, be re5pc,tsAible. IT'S OUR GRANO Come Celebrate with us.... Saturday, August 25, 2001 8 am - 3 pm a.B.Q. Hot Dog & Pop $1.00 All proceeds to the Children's Hospital Horse-Drawn Blowout Specials Crystal II Softener Salt 20 kg bag $4.49 40 kg bag $7.49 Pet Food Specials Gourmet Royale Dog Food 99 per can Mix & Match Bulk Biscuits $1.99 lb. Gourmet Wild Bird Mix 9 kg bag $5.99 18 kg bag $10.99 Buy 10 bags, get 1 free program NEW EQUINE DIVISION Pet Pictures Get your picture taken with your pet Pet Prizes Smallest Pet, Largest Pet, Owner/Pet Look-alike Contest & More We now have a whole section of our store devoted to Pet Feed & Accessories and Bird Seed, Brussels Agri Services Located 1 krn east of Brussels at Brussels Livestock Phone: 887-9391 Fax: 887-9960 www.brusseIsagri.com PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2001. North Huron amends nutrient management bylaw By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff Following the presentation of a petition signed by concerned resi- dents, North Huron council at its Aug. 20 meeting tightened up restrictions with regards to the con- struction of new livestock opera- tions. Dianna Robinson insisted that councillor's incorporate an environ- mental impact study pertained to nutrient management and livestock housing. She said she had a number of concerns regarding the municipal- ity's current nutrient management bylaw which were shared by the peo- ple who signed her petition. "I did not spend a lot of time on this but there were 50 people willing to sign," she said. Primarily, Robinson said, she is not in favour of livestock facilities being built on waterways without an environmental study being done and submitted aerial photographs of "sensitive areas" where a barn is to be built. The current NMP states that the farmer must own 25 per cent of the land on which he will be spreading manure. Robinson said she would like to see this increased to at least 60 per cent. Also, Robinson asked that council consider an increase in the agree- ment for another farmer to take the manure for spreading from three years to 10 years. She said she would like to see intensive livestock "taken out of the shelter of agriculture". Asking for council's co-operation in seeing that an environmental impact study is done, Robinson said she learned from the Ministry of the Environment that they will only do something once the water is pollut- ed. "Water is our most precious com- modity. For MOE to come in, it's already too late." Chief Building Official Byron Ellis responded to Robinson's con- cerns stressing that -she "had every - right" to have them. He said the rea- son the lease was set for three years was because that is when soil sam- pling is done. When the 25 per cent was present- ed to council, Ellis said he had done thorough research and found that only Ashfreld Twp. had 60 per cent. "That is a hardship for a person start- ing out to own that much land. I was also addressing the family farm as well as the factory farm in the nutri- ent management plan." Reiterating the concern for water quality, Ellis pointed out that North Huron has a considerable amount of land that is high susceptibility. He said Maitland Valley Conservation Authority has guidelines showing areas that maybe impacted and they must be contacted for comment. Sequel runs to Sept. 9 Continued from page 19 Ben and Canada for good? Has the dream of romance been shattered by post-war reality? Once again, her indomitable mum (portrayed by for- mer Blyth Festival Artistic Director Janet Amos) and two delightfully romantic sisters help and hinder in equal measure. Since its premiere in Blyth in 1996, This Year, Next Year has had several other professional and com- munity productions, and was pub- lished by Playwrights Press. The sequel, Sometime, Never runs at the Blyth Festival from Aug. 21 - Sept. 9. Call the box office at 523-9300 or 1-877-862-5984. Ellis estimated about 50 per cent of North Huron is under this jurisdic- tion. Though there are lands in the township suitable for intensive live- stock, the county water management study has shown a fairly large pro- portion which is fragile territory. Ellis said he. wrote MVCA with regards to the building Robinson had expressed concern over to see if an environmental risk assessment would be of value. The response essentially stated that all new intensive livestock oper- ations should require risk assess- wients and environmental manage- ment plans. Asked for his interpreta- tion of intensive, Ellis said 100 ani- mal units. "Up to 400 you are a fac- tory farm." Ellis read the example of an assessment from the Huron-Kinloss NMP bylaw. Summarized it would see an environmental risk assess- ment done on all new livestock oper- ations. Should this be tine, the build- ing could proceed. If not, the propos- al would be taken to the next level up to the environmental impact study. The process would be carried out by an independent, not by township staff. Councillor Jeff Howson said he had not been aware that there were different levels that could be done and asked Robinson . if what was being proposed was something she could see as a working plan. "I wouldn't want to see any short- cuts because there will be spills and I resent that any one person has the right to destroy the air we breathe and the water we drink," she said. Questioned on the cost to the pro- ducer to have a full study done, Ellis estimated $30,000. "It's going to be self-limiting,"he said. "Farmers are already out shopping for land less restrictive than North Huron." However, he noted once again that there is suitable land in the township. Also, he said, the cost of the study should be looked at as insurance. "'I hey can pay now or pay later, because if' they're sued, they're going to be shut down." Council was in unanimous support of the proposed amendment to the NMP bylaw, however, Howson expressed his feeling that some pro- ducers are getting a bad rap. "There are a lot out there who are concerned about the same things we are. They're looking at ways to fix it." The bylaw was given just first and second reading as there was still some fine-tuning to be done.