OMYA AND THE TAY RIVER
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
A Message from the Citizen Respondents
The Decision of the Environmental Review Tribunal on OMYA’s Water Taking from the Tay River near Perth was reached after an appeal by concerned citizens was filed in accordance with Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights.
The decision of the Environmental Review Tribunal last February was a good decision for everyone in this community and in Ontario
This decision:
--takes a cautious approach to water resource management;
--gives OMYA twice the water it can currently take, but not the five fold increase it sought;
--calls for a trial period of six years in which real-time data is collected and monitored by an independent environmental auditor;
--recommends the development of a water budget for greater certainty in future water allocations; and
--provides for community stewardship of local water and the use of a watershed approach for water management.
This fair decision addresses the concerns of both OMYA and the community, but it is now at risk.
OMYA(Canada) Inc. has appealed the Tribunal decision to the Minister of the Environment.
The Minister may uphold, alter, or revoke the Tribunal’s decision.
The Walkerton Inquiry Report reflects the same important principles found in the Tay River decision, such as community stewardship, water budgets, water resource management on a watershed basis, and protection of water at source.
Because of these shared principles, the Minister’s decision on the OMYA appeal becomes a crucial test of the Ontario government’s stated commitment to implement the Walkerton Report’s recommendations.
In addition, a ministerial finding which does not uphold the Tribunal’s Tay River decision would be a severe blow to the integrity of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights and the tools it gives to citizens to help protect the environment.
The parties have made their final submissions to the Minister.
Now is your time to help make a difference for present and future generations.
Please write to the Minister and the Premier asking that they uphold
this decision of the Environmental Review Tribunal.
Please mail, fax or email your letters to:
The Minister’s Office
The Hon. Chris Stockwell, MPP
Minister of the Environment
Minister’s Office, 12th Floor
135 St Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5
Fax 416 314 6748
Email minister@ene.gov.on.ca
This notice paid for by The Tay River Legal Defence Fund, 83 Cockburn St., Perth, ON K7H 2B7.
To view the citizen’s submissions to the Minister, go to www.cela.ca.
For further information e-mail: dawn@superaje.com.