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Huron Expositor, 2001-05-09, Page 8. i_411rAF:y . .. 8 -THE HIMON EXCITOR, May f, 2001 News Services pared down enough to put public at risk, says McQuigge By Andy Bader Mitchell Advocate Editor As the precious resource known as fresh water was re- emphasized during a panel discussion last Thursday afternoon at the Organization of Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM) annual conference in Stratford, water contamination was causing illness in North Battlefield, Saskatchewan—the second tainted water story in less than a year. Dr. Murray McQuigge, the . medical officer of health for Bruce -Grey -Owen Sound who issued the boil water advisory last May in Walkerton, was the keynote speaker during the 90 -minute discussion, and warned the tragedy could happen once again if precautions aren't taken. He also said provincial downloading and cutbacks are also partially to blame for the tragedy, claims he expects will be confirmed during the current ongoing judicial inquiry. "I believe government services have been pared down to the point where public safety is at risk," he said. T h e environment is changing around us, as human and agriculture waste continues to increase dramatically, he said. Dr. McQuigge also charged that no one should "trust" their water sources in this day and age, and the water that we have we need to protect through proper treatment in municipal wells. "The system we trust can no longer rise to the challenge," he said. Books and other documentation about fresh water and protecting it are being published, with authors already predicting that "wars will be fought over fresh water if we're not careful." There are six billion people in the world, yet the planet can only provide enough fresh water for four billion of those, he said. The judicial inquiry has completed its first phase, with others ongoing, with the final report expected to be completed by the end of this year. Even as the inquiry continues, Dr. McQuigge said the province must should some of the responsibility for what happened in Walkerton, and accept some responsibility for ensuring it 'doesn't happen again elsewhere. "Government should be irk the business of protecting our health and safety," he said. "Not as a privatized notion, but with enough of its own dedicated and trained staff to do the job that's required." Dr. McQuigge briefly described how the E.coli 0157:H7 bacteria—a relatively new bug discovered in 1982—came to contaminate the drinking water of Walkerton which killed seven people and caused illness for another 2,300 others last May in the midwestern Ontario town. By the time E. coli enters the system, diarrhea reveals itself in three days, and three days after that it becomes bloody, and treatment is limited. "You either get better or fall into kidney failure," he said, noting that before dialysis was used for treatment, 40 -per cent of those stricken would die. "By the time you get sick, it's very difficult to reverse the force of the disease," he said. Dr. McQuigge explained how "eerie" it was to drive through Walkerton and realize that despite the sun being out and the sky blue "coursing through the pipes of Walkerton was this deadly bacteria." He offered a few tips to municipal politicians in attendance, noting that all municipalities need to update and review their emergency plan and prepare for the worst, appoint a single spokesperson t o communicate to the community, be prepared for intense media scrutiny and err on the side of caution in the response to an outbreak of any kind. Other speakers during the discussion were Craig Rix, a lawyer representing the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) at the Walkerton hearings. He urged the involvement of municipal politicians, especially those governing smaller municipalities because "one size does not fit all" when the eventual judgement is revealed. "There may not be one set of solutions for everybody," he said. The province will not back down on its "ongoing and rigorous" enforcement campaign, Rix continued, when it comes to water quality. Rix warned that perhaps the real challenge for the small towns and cities in the province dealing with the new, expensive provincial regulations is balancing the regulations with the likely prohibitive cost in doing so. "Our job is to make sure the recommendations are workable on the ground, affordable on the ground, pragmatic and doable," he said. Mitchell farmer Bert Vorstenbosch, former deputy mayor of West Perth and former chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), gave a brief outline of nutrient management practices, using his 2,400 -hog operation as the example. The Walkerton tragedy should "act as a wakeup call" he said, "because we've been abusing the land for many years." All municipalities, large and small, need to work together rather than pointing fingers to rural municipalities for poor environmental practices. "The environment is not your problem, it's everyone's problem," he told delegates. Q uoted '1 believe government services have been pared down to the pointwhere public safety is at risk' -- Dr. Murray McQuigge, the medical officer of health who h a key player in the recent Walkerton water crisis. I,Y —rarim ow• �� .��. �� ori • Mom's the real gem at our Mother's Day SALE Wednesday May 9 - Saturday May 12 NO TAX NO TAX ON ALL ON ALL 10K GOLD OCITIZEN Chains, Rings, Pendents, Earrings, Charms Watches Orth ,Jewellers Licit d 47 MAIN ST. 527-0270 just in time for MOTHER'S DAY at FASHIONS Pay' -..._.-., TAXESvim On All New Spring & Summer Fashions 1 •We pay the equivalent on the PST & GST .• cam_ 30 Main St., Seaforth 527-0278 SALE ENDS SATURDAY. 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