Prince Edward County Council is opposing plans by the Ministry of the Environment to change how certain wastewater and storm water projects are regulated.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, councillors briefly debated the impacts of the Ministry’s plan to expand Permit-by-Rule to wastewater and storm water management systems.
Permit-By-Rule as a system means that instead of having to seek a permit, a project is considered to have a permit automatically so long as it complies with all applicable regulations. In this case, the projects still have to be registered on the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry, but won’t be subject to the same level of scrutiny they are now.
The changes are being made to reduce the number of permits needed for construction when the project poses low risk to the environment.
After the announcement of the planned regulatory change, Quinte Conservation stated that some of the activities being moved to the Permit-By-Rule system may pose significant risks to drinking water, human health, and the environment.
Councillor John Hirsch had concerns that with less scrutiny on projects, waste water could end up disposed of improperly.
“If you allow private companies to regulate or pretend to regulate themselves, that’s where the trouble comes in,” said Councillor Hirsch. “It’s about the human tendency to want to take shortcuts.”
Council approved the motion to oppose the changes, and a copy of the motion is being sent to Premier Doug Ford, Bay of Quinie MPP Todd Smith, and Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
