HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-03-01, Page 3News
Unions .
are protest of
though hospitals have
made it clear there are
no savings to be found
without affecting clini-
cal services.
Allan said under
LHINs, hospitals will be
forced to offer services
at set prices and to bid
against other nearby
hospitals for the right to
offer a service.
"They (Liberal MPPs)
are now admitting they
want to see competition
between providers. It's
completely the opposite
of integration because it
will create competition
and we'll see a break-
down-of
reak-
down-of the cooperation
that has marked the
system to date," said
Allan.
He said a similar
model was created to
run the Community.
Care Access Centres,.
where homecare ser-
vices were contracted
out to providers.
Under the CCACs,
longstanding . service
providers such as the
Victorian Order of
Nurses, have lost their
contracts and workers
have been forced to take
jobs with other
providers who pay less.
He said homecare
workers who used to
make $17 an hour now
make $12 and there's a
57 per cent turnover in
staff as providers con-
tinue to lose their con-
tracts.
"You can't run any
industry with that kind
of turnover," he said.
From Page 1
The LHIN representing
Huron County will span
from Lake Erie to
Tobermory and
Chatham to Kitchener -
Waterloo, a region she
said is one of the largest
of the 14.
Allan said the system
is based on "the worst
aspects :of regional
reform in Great Britian"
.with each LHIN "given
a pod of money to pur-
chase service from vari-
ous healthcare
providers."
He said the province
stumbled on the model
in the 1990s after hospi-
tals fought hard against
serious cutbacks to be
able to maintain their
services.
"The government
noticed the power of the
local communities and
thought, 'How can ,we
get around this?'" he
said.
Allan said LHINs will
become the "flacl1 catch-
ers" for the province.
"When your local hos-
pitals are threatened,
the LHINs will say, We
don't have the ability to
raise taxes - we have
nothing more to give.'
And, the province will
say, `Talk to the LHINs'
and back and forth it
will go," he said.
With the costs of
drugs and equipment
"raising through the
.roof," Allan said LHINs
will be forced to find
cost savings, even
Hirdes said under the
LHIN system, con-
sumers could have to
travel huge distances for
healthcare.
"You could have
surgery in Stratford and
be transferred to a nurs-
ing home in St. Thomas
if that is the only place
that can afford to pro-
vide the service at the
cost determined by the
LHIN," she said.
She added that
while most hospitals
provide full care now,
under 'LHINs con-
sumers will have to
travel 'from hospital
to hospital for differ-
ent services.
Allan said- the
LHIN system is
going to create a cli-
mate of greater
secrecy concerning
hospital budgets.
"You might not.
want to tell the com-
munity that your
budget is under
threat if that means
you may be targetted
further," he said.
Hirdes said she's
alarmed by the lack
of transparency by
the provincial gov-
ernment surrounding
Bill 36.
She said public
consultation consist-
ed of seven days of
public hearings, four
of which were based
in Toronto, where
those wishing to
speak had to apply
for the right four
weeks in advance
Deb Hirdes and Doug Allan
The Huron Expositor. • March 1, 2006 Page 3
INs to local MPP
and could have their
request to speak turned
down.
She added that
amendments to Bill 36
suggested by opposition
MPPs have so far been
mostly turned down.
"The problem is
there's a majority
Liberal government and
they can steamroll over
everyone else," she said.
Allan said a provincial
rally is being held
March 2 in front of
MPPs' offices across
Ontario to "keep the
struggle alive" against
the LHINs legislation.
"We have got to build
more local groups and
make sure the govern-
ment listens to us. The
struggle is just begin-
ning to keep local hospi-
tals vital, vibrant and
public," he said.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
REQUEST FOR REGULATORY:FRELIEF
FOR SEAFORTH WATER WORKS
Purpose of Notice
The Municipality of Huron East has asked the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to
defer a requirement to provide additional treatment at the Welsh Street Well, which
supplies Seaforth-and Egmondville, until new wells can be constructed to replace the
existing sources.
The MOE has asked that the Municipality: obtain public comment on the request to .defer
additional treatment.
Background
The Seaforth Water Supply System is currently comprised of two groundwater sources
and a distribution system. The Welsh Street Well is the primary source of water for the
community, and is drilled to a depth of 86 metres below grade. The Chalk Street Well is
constructed to a depth of 63 metres below grade. The Chalk St. Well was removed from
service in October 2002 because of high radionuclide levels and it. is only used in
emergency situations.
A study in 2002 established that the Welsh Street Well obtains some of its water from at
or near the ground surface. Technically these sources are defined as surface water and
not groundwater. As surface water, Provincial Regulations would require that they have
additional treatment including advanced disinfection facilities and, in some cases,
filtration.
The Municipality is currently in the process of completing a Class Environmental
Assessment regarding long-term water supply and two newly drilled wells.
Current Situation
Recognizing that the Welsh Street Wells does not have the type of treatment facilities
required by the Province, the Municipality has undertaken a study to determine if the
present facilities are adequate until new water sources are put into service. The results
of the evaluation are presented in a report entitled "Documentation to Support an
Application for Regulatory Relief Under Section 38 of the Safe Drinking Water Act."
The study reviewed historical information on raw water quality and treatment system
performance, the probability of the source water quality changing, existing treatment and
monitoring systems and the frequency of operation of the source.
The study concluded that, although 'the Welsh Street Well has some risk associated with
its operation, this minimal risk has existed since the well's original development. The well
has historically provided good quality water, and has met the Province's drinking water
test standards. The current treatment systems and monitoring, along with the continued
exclusion of the Chalk Street Well, will effectively mitigate any risks sufficient to delay
upgrading the system until a replacement supply is available.
•
The study report is available for public review at the municipal offices at the address
below during normal business hours. If you have questions or wish to make a comment,
please contact the undersigned at 519-527-0160.
Jack McLachlan, Administrator
Municipality of Huron East
72 Main Street S.
Box 610
Seaforth, ON NOK 1 WO