Questions for candidates on behalf of Wakefield Spring:
Background:
The Wakefield Spring, used by 5000 people from throughout the riding of Gatineau as their source of potable water, remains threatened by inappropriate development.
A Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) report released in October 2010 indicated that the highway 5 development compromises up to 25% of the spring’s catchment area. Since May 3 of 2012, Couillard construction has put the spring at further risk by removing thousands of tons of sand from within the Spring’s catchment area without getting a provincial certificate of authorization as required by law. How much this construction will affect water quality and quantity at the spring remains unknown. The only study released to date (by Couillard’s own consultants) is not based on all publicly available data and contradicts the NRCan report.
In response to Couillard’s illegal actions, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks (MDDEP) has only imposed a $5000 fine against Couillard. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport of Quebec refuses to pay for the sand removed from the Rockhurst quarry since it does not come from a site with a proper certificate of authorization but the Ministry of Transport (MTQ) has otherwise accepted the (free) sand to build its highway. The MTQ has also commissioned its own hydrogeological opinion on the effects of sand removal on the spring, but refuses to release the results of this study.
The actions of these government ministries suggest that the construction companies are truly running the show in this province. Further intervention is clearly needed on the part of our MNA to ensure the protection of ground water in this riding.
Will you commit to the following?
1) Call on the Minister of Transport to refuse to accept materials from a site that does not have a legitimate certificate of authorization. Refusing to pay for materials is clearly not enough of a penalty.
2) Call on all government ministries to make any environmental study conducted in the public interest (e.g. the MTQ’s study of the spring’s hydrogeology) publicly available as soon as it is complete, so that citizens’ groups can evaluate the quality of the research and conclusions.
3) Work closely with the Municipality of La Peche and SOS Wakefield to create a source protection strategy for the Spring, including finding funds at the provincial level to ensure that this hydrogeological and planning study is of the highest quality and fully implemented.
4) Actively seek changes to the Quebec regulations on sandpits. First, the ability for landowners to call on “grandfathered rights” to avoid being subject to the regulations must be phased out so that everyone is subject to the same laws. Second, natural springs used by over 500 people must be included within the definition of a water source that triggers a hydrogeological study under the Environmental Quality Act.
5) Actively seek changes to MDDEP’s administrative procedures so that it can take a company before a judge or administrative tribunal quickly when they are breaking the law, especially in cases where exploitation of the resource is expected to be only short-term and intensive.
The Wakefield Spring, used by 5000 people from throughout the riding of Gatineau as their source of potable water, remains threatened by inappropriate development.
A Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) report released in October 2010 indicated that the highway 5 development compromises up to 25% of the spring’s catchment area. Since May 3 of 2012, Couillard construction has put the spring at further risk by removing thousands of tons of sand from within the Spring’s catchment area without getting a provincial certificate of authorization as required by law. How much this construction will affect water quality and quantity at the spring remains unknown. The only study released to date (by Couillard’s own consultants) is not based on all publicly available data and contradicts the NRCan report.
In response to Couillard’s illegal actions, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks (MDDEP) has only imposed a $5000 fine against Couillard. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport of Quebec refuses to pay for the sand removed from the Rockhurst quarry since it does not come from a site with a proper certificate of authorization but the Ministry of Transport (MTQ) has otherwise accepted the (free) sand to build its highway. The MTQ has also commissioned its own hydrogeological opinion on the effects of sand removal on the spring, but refuses to release the results of this study.
The actions of these government ministries suggest that the construction companies are truly running the show in this province. Further intervention is clearly needed on the part of our MNA to ensure the protection of ground water in this riding.
Will you commit to the following?
1) Call on the Minister of Transport to refuse to accept materials from a site that does not have a legitimate certificate of authorization. Refusing to pay for materials is clearly not enough of a penalty.
2) Call on all government ministries to make any environmental study conducted in the public interest (e.g. the MTQ’s study of the spring’s hydrogeology) publicly available as soon as it is complete, so that citizens’ groups can evaluate the quality of the research and conclusions.
3) Work closely with the Municipality of La Peche and SOS Wakefield to create a source protection strategy for the Spring, including finding funds at the provincial level to ensure that this hydrogeological and planning study is of the highest quality and fully implemented.
4) Actively seek changes to the Quebec regulations on sandpits. First, the ability for landowners to call on “grandfathered rights” to avoid being subject to the regulations must be phased out so that everyone is subject to the same laws. Second, natural springs used by over 500 people must be included within the definition of a water source that triggers a hydrogeological study under the Environmental Quality Act.
5) Actively seek changes to MDDEP’s administrative procedures so that it can take a company before a judge or administrative tribunal quickly when they are breaking the law, especially in cases where exploitation of the resource is expected to be only short-term and intensive.
