HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-02-23, Page 6PAGE 6 THE CITIZEN THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2006.
Letter to the editor
Writer makes recommendations for water.
THE EDITOR,
Are we coming to grips with water
pollution issues...
No! The pollution of our wells,
our groundwater, our municipal
drains, our streams and our beaches
in the Lake Huron Watershed of
Southwestern Ontario continues.
Current laws, regulations, and the
`encouragements' imbedded in the
official plans of our municipalities
and counties are not sufficient to
reverse the water pollution trend in
the watershed.
Drilling deeper wells, building
miles of water pipelines for rural
households, hiring more people to
monitor water quality and adding
more chemicals to the drinking
water will certainly reduce the
immediate health risks and the risk
of another Walkerton. However,
these actions do not prevent or
reduce water pollution in the Lake
Huron watershed of Southwestern
Ontario.
Real changes in attitudes, real
changes in regulations, real changes
in enforcing the laws and real
actions by every level of government
and every area resident are required
to improve the quality of our waters.
Firm goals and timelines are
required. Strong initiative,
unwavering courage and real
commitment are required from our
leaders.
We can pretend that the water
pollution problem is under control.
We can post Use Beach at Own Risk
signs to prevent repeated headlines.
We can pretend that initiating a
Species at Risk project for a polluted
river system is good enough. We can
pretend that a giant factory farm
operation is nb different than a
family farm of the 1950s when it
comes to normal farm practices.
We can pretend that the use of
chemical fertilizers and synthetic
pesticides amounts to sustainable
agricultural practices. We can
pretend that raw sewage by-passing
is acceptable because it is authorized
by the Ministry of the Environment.
We can pretend that cottagers know
where their septic system is and how
to properly maintain it. We can
pretend to follow smart growth
principles to curtail urban sprawl.
We can pretend that cleanup costs
will come down if only we wait. We
can pretend...
Is it time to stop pretending and
start practising real environmental
stewardship at home, at school, at
work, at play? Is it time to develop a
sound 20-year water quality strategic
plan for the total Lake Huron
Watershed of Southwestern Ontario?
Is time for each one of us to take
real action now to curb the ongoing
water pollution, to curb the ongoing
wildlife habitat destruction and to
curb the ongoing environmental
degradation?
Here are my top 12
recommendations for real-action-
now throughout the Lake Huron
watershed of Southwestern Ontario:
1. Align the political county
boundaries to the natural watershed
boundaries of existing
conservation authorities and
expand their responsibility and
accountability for water quality
2. Plant substantial buffer strips of
natural vegetation along all
waterways and shorelines- and
implement green cores-green
corridors' conservation measures
3. Develop environmentally sound
maintenance methods for
municipal drains and insist that
drainage engineers apply them
4. Install mini wetlands on non-
organic farms to collect all surface
runoff and tile drainage containing
chemical fertilizers, pesticides,
hormones and antibiotics for
subsequent recycle-irrigation
and/or filtration before discharge to
the public waterways
5. Replace the faulty liquid manure
technology used by factory hog
operations with solid manure-
composti ng-hormone/antibiotics
neutralization technology
6. Implement organic farming
widely and support it with an
effective buy local campaign
7. Introduce a mandatory septic
system maintenance by-law in
every municipality
8. Outlaw the discharge of raw and
partially-treated sewage from
Letter
THE EDITOR,
Hullett Central Public School is
hosting the annual Community Fun
Night and Silent Auction.
This is the only major fundraiser
for the school. The funds raised will
go towards improving numeracy and
literacy, and upgrading sports
equipment.
Community Fun Night promises to
be a fun, entertaining evening for all
ages and the community is welcome
to attend.
Some of the events planned are
clowns, face painting and balloons,
games for the children, bake sale,
penny sale and the silent auction
Libird
www.hboratca
industry and municipalities into the
waterways and upgrade the
municipal sewer infrastructure to
prevent leakage and overload
problems
9. Outlaw the cosmetic use of
synthetic chemical pesticides
10. Collect leachate from
municipal dump sites in lined
trenches and ,treat the collected
leachate before discharge to the
public waterways
11. Curb urban sprawl by making
authorization of all new
development plans subject to
review for adherence to smart
growth principles
12. Instruct the county health unit
to spearhead an effective outreach
education campaigns in schools and
community centres covering:
environmental stewardship and
health - safe alternatives for
hazardous chemical household
products and. cleaners - safe
alternatives for synthetic pesticides
- maintaining a healthy and
environmentally sound septic system
including many items, services and
talents from the surrounding area.
We are asking if you would like to
continue with your support by
donating towards this worthwhile
evening. We also invite you to mark
the date on your calendar, Friday,
April 21 from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.
to come with your family and enjoy
the evening. .
Anyone with questions can call
Glenda deBoer at 523-9139 or e-
,rnail gdeboer@tcc.on.ca
Thank you.
Glenda deBoer
Hullett Central School parent
representative.
- co-existing with wildlife in all its
diversity It's Our Water... Our
Health... Our Future...
Klaus Keunecke
Grand Bend,
Hullett school
plans fundraiser
PAUL STE
In Appreciation
30 Victoria Street North
Goderich, Ontario N7A 2R6
(519) 524-6938 / 1-800-465-1726
steckp0@parl.gc.ca
www.psteckle.corn
I would like to thank my family, my entire campaign team
and the people of Huron-Bruce for again extending their confidence
and support during the recent federal election campaign.
As I prepare to assume my duties as a member of the
Official Opposition, I know that there will be many new and
difficult challenges ahead, I also know that, with the kind
of support that I have enjoyed since 1993, there is no challenge
to great to contend with.
Hair today...
Wyatt Bearss volunteered to shave his hair for Locks of
Love, a charitable organization that donates wigs to cancer
patients on Monday, Feb. 20. Bearss, a Grade 5 student at
Blyth Public School had help from Grade 4 teacher Heather
Decker who volunteered to manoeuvre the clippers.
Students are aiming to raise $1,000 before the end of the
year. If that amount is reached Jane Badham who teaches
Grade 5/6 has agreed to hand the clippers over to
someone else to work on her hair. So far students have
raised $250. (Heather Crawford photo)
Again, I look forward to continuing to be your voice in Parliament
and I invite you to contact me i f I can assist you in any way.
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Paid for by the ror-Bruce (Federal, Liberal Association