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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-05-20, Page 3JNTJrLENFWS Times -Advocate, May 20, 1998 Page 3 p SOL -VE comes to agreement on pollution sources in Lake Huron By Kate Monk T -A $tnorter EXETER - Lake Huron E. coli pollution comes from many sources and action needs to be taken by all sectors to eliminate the pollution. That was the message from mem- bers of SOL -VE (Save Our Lake - Value . Environment) last week when they released their Lake I-1u- ron water quality study. Municipal sewage treatment plant by-passes, poor agricultural manure management practices and faulty or illegally connected septic tank sys- tems all contribute to the high E. coli counts. "There is now a general ac- ceptance that all sectors of society are contributors to the problem," the report stated. This is a major breakthrough for the committee of representatives from Huron's Edge, Huron Farm Environmental Coalition,, Town of Goderich, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs, Ministry of the Environment, Huron and Lamb - ton. County Health Units, and the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Conservation Authorities. SOL -VE was formed to provide an opportunity for conflicting opin- ions to meet,- to discuss common positions and differences and to cooperatively dp a study that iden- tifies sources (animal or human) of E. cob. It was hoped that forming the group would reduce the amountof finger pointing between groups so they could come to common ground and work towards solving the water quality problem. The purpose of this study was to use fingerprinting with antibiotic resistance patterns as a method to identify predominant sources of E. coli. The report states, "Like other studits, using this methodology, human and animal sources continue to be identified as sources of E. coli, but the limited data available did not allow for any conclusive de- termination of the predominant source of E. coli contamination." Other limitations to the project included minima) financial re- sources, sampling methods, low E. coli levels and higher than expected E. coli resistance. SOL -VE compiled. 18 major rec- ommendations for action but did not identify a time frame or assign responsibility for implementing the recommendations. • Implement a Manure Man- agement Bylaw (Nutrient Man- agement) which requires all farm- ing operations (established and new) to file a plan and provide in- dicators .that it has been imple- mented. • Establish an inventory of every farming operation and record the method of manure storage and dis- posal management. • Require every farmer to com- plete an Environmental Farm Plan. Councillor resigns ZURICH - Councillor Nick Littlechild 'tenured his resignation at Thursday's council meeting. • Littlechild cited his impending move to Exeter as the main reason for'his decision to leave council. ' "I will stay on until they get someone or until I move in July," said -Littlechild. To fill the void left by Littlechild, village Clerk -Treasurer Char- lene Overholt confirmed the village is investigating their options. "Right now we are looking at our procedures," said Overholt. , , "We will probably decide at the' village budget meeting on May 28 when to hold an open meeting . to find a new councillor." Informal review will begin STRATFORD -Board relocation and school closings were delayed for two years but an informal review of Seaforth District High School will begin in September. , At last Tuesday night's meeting of the Avon -Maitland District School Board in , Stratford, Chairperson Abby Armstrong said she mets with members of the Friends of Seaforth District )-sigh School group. s "It was very heartwarming to work with a group of people who are positive," she said. Efforts of the informal review committee will focus on bolstering the school's enrolment, establish goals and address some of the ,board's financial concerns. The two year delay and the infor- mal review buys the community more time to prove the school's yia- bility, said Maureen Agar, chairper- son of the SDHS Parent Council. "We made the board step back and look at what they're doing," she said. The board considered closing Seaforth's only high school to make room for the offices of the newly amalgamated board. A $15,000 fund raised to launch a court battle to keep the school open will remain in a bank account until the Friends group decides what to do with it. Agar said the group doesn't want to spend the money on. school equipment then find it needs it to fight school clo- sure in the future. The board will continue to oper- ate out of its office on Water St. in Stratford and in Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton. Some reorganization of staff may occur. PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSIONS Norampac Inc. Trenton Division will host public information sessions on its dust suppressant and road binder product Dombind. The purpose of the public information sessions is to provide information and answer public inquiries regarding the manufacture and use of Dombind dust suppressant and its application on rural roads in Ontario. Public information sessions will be held: May 26, 1998 Ailsa Craig, Ontario Ailsa Craig Recreation Centre _ Jameson Street May 27, 1998 ' St. Mary's, Ontario Westover Inn, 300 Thomas Street May 28, 1998 Sunderland, Ontario Sunderland Town Hall, 120 River Street Representatives from Norampac Inc.'s Trenton Division will be on hand at each session to distribute information and answer inquiries. Persons wishing to obtain more information or provide comments on Dombind may visit the public information sessions or contact Norampac Inc. Trenton Division Box 807, 300 Marmora Street, Trenton, Ontario K8V 5R8 Telephone: (613) 392-6505 Fax: (613) 392-3026; or visit our website at www.dombind.com. Norampac Trenton Division • Provide support 'and financial incentives in establishing al- ternative manure treatment tech- nology. • Establish an inventory of the lo- cation of every on-site sewage sys- tem in the county for which the health unit does not have a record of installation. • Establish a bylaw which re- quires every resident who has an on-site sewage ,system to provide proof of septic tank maintenance and pump -out on a prearranged schedule. • Re-establish the Clean Up Rural Beaches program as an incentive for implementing remediation ac- tivities. • Provide support and financial incentives for alternative septage disposal and treatment. • Require rmmicipalities with sewage treatrnmi plants (or la- goons) to increase the pace in re- placing/separating combined storm/ sanitary sewers. Identify and repair storm water infiltration points of sanitary sewers. • Provide support and financial incentives in upgrading municipal. sewage treatment facilities. • Require municipalities 'with sewage treatment plants (or la- goons) to avoid discharging un- treated efliuent into surface waters. • Support and encourage the use of ultraviolet technology or al- ternative treatment to chlorine of discharged effluent. • Require the installation of re- tention chambers to collect un- treated bypass effluent for treat- ment at a later time when the facility can handle the volume. • Support in all ways the activ- ities of the Ministry of the Environ- ment to identify spills and ensure ' quick legal action. • Review more aggressively the HENSA L L DISTRICT CO-OPERAT1VE awl current practices of antibiotic/ antimicrobial use in animal hus- bandry. • Provide continuous in-service education on the use and abuse of antibiotics/antimicrobials in animal husbandry. Encourage alternative practices to using antibiotics/ antimicrobials as preventative • measures. • Support the recommendations of the task force initiated by the Ministry of Health, Public Health Branch, to establish criteria and policies for prevention and con- trolling the antibiotic use in hu- mans. • Encourage the International Joint Commission to implement some of the strategies and polic; mentioned above. SOLVE hopes the finger point- ing between groups will decrease when the technology to determine exact sources of contamination are refined. "When the techniques of fin- gerprinting with bacterial antibiotic resistance patterns become refined, sources of E. coli can be more spe- cifically identified. For example, if a recreation area has persistent high E. coli levels, fingerprinting can be used to effectively focus on the cause of the source instead of spending time in ruling out each of the potential contributors. "Therefore, more time can be spent in remediating the cause of the pollution. All that is needed is the financial resources and the de - to perfect the fingerprinting 'que. finger pointing will stop _e the focus can be on elim- inating an identified source," the re- port states. SOL -VE chairman Klaus Seeger said the committee will meet again to decide on future initiatives. EXETER ONLY CLEARANCE ON RIDING LAWN MOWERS BUY NOW!, LIMITED QUANTITI SA MONEY SALE DATES - MAY 20 , MAY 31, 1998 Subject to prior sale 12 1/2 HP/38" Cut MTD 8451-0152 1219. 13 HP/42" Cut Yardman Hydrostatic 801-6836 1549. 141 /2 HP/42" Cut MTD 801-3785 - 1329. 15HP/42" Cut MTD 8451-0137 1599. 16 HP/42" Cut MTD 8236 1799. 16 1/2 HP/46" Cut MTD 8451-0103 1829. 20 HP/46" Cut Yardman 801-3330 3749. 16 HP/42" Snapper Hydrostatic 801-4070 3299. 14 HP/33" Snapper rear engine 801-4069 2569. 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