Brock Voice - LSRCA working with Beaverton Area to Address Farm run-off Issues
On Dec 17, 2018 the Brock Voice reported Brock Township Council (Planning and Economic Development Committee) discussed the recent approval by LSRCA Board to have detailed plans drawn up to address agricultural run-off into Lake Simcoe from the Goodyear Farm north of Beaverton. Work was awarded to the environmental consulting firm Emmons and Olivier Resources Canada (ERO). Costs of the planning phase of work ($70K) are to be split between LSRCA and the Goodyear farm.
Committee members voiced there support applauding the residents who have been fighting this issue for many years along with the Goodyear Farm who have finally agreed to address the issue.
Notably missing from the discussion are any details related to further phases of activity including construction, water quality monitoring, maintenance of constructed facilities, and effort to repair damage done to the lake.
Notable, too, was a report received by Brock Township from Ontario MECP Minister Rod Phillips dated Nov 06, 2018. The report was a response to a letter issued by Brock Township CAO Tom Gettinby who had requested enforcement action from MECP and who attached the Oct 2017 resolution of Brock Township council asking for MECP to conduct a formal investigation into water quality issues in the Beaverton area. Early in 2018, the previous Minister (Chris Ballard) had declined the request opting instead to have the issue resolved locally.
The Nov 06, 2018 report summarized two recent visits by MECP to the Goodyear Farm noting various mitigation work carried out to reduce agricultural run-off into the lake. It also noted that MECP does not regulate non-point source run-off from agricultural operations under either the Ontario Water Resources Act or the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. This apparent lack of authority and by extension lack of enforcement by MECP is problematic in that there appears to be no municipal authority, conservation authority, provincial authority, or federal authority that DOES have regulation and enforcement authorities on this issue.
Below is a picture of agricultural run-off from Feb 25, 2018 when a winter melt occurred on Feb 19, 2018 and run-off from the farm was still occurring unabated almost a week later into the ditch along Thorah concession 9, and into Lake Simcoe at Thorah Centennial Public Beach. This is just one of 7 watercourses draining the Goodyear Farm.
Committee members voiced there support applauding the residents who have been fighting this issue for many years along with the Goodyear Farm who have finally agreed to address the issue.
Notably missing from the discussion are any details related to further phases of activity including construction, water quality monitoring, maintenance of constructed facilities, and effort to repair damage done to the lake.
Notable, too, was a report received by Brock Township from Ontario MECP Minister Rod Phillips dated Nov 06, 2018. The report was a response to a letter issued by Brock Township CAO Tom Gettinby who had requested enforcement action from MECP and who attached the Oct 2017 resolution of Brock Township council asking for MECP to conduct a formal investigation into water quality issues in the Beaverton area. Early in 2018, the previous Minister (Chris Ballard) had declined the request opting instead to have the issue resolved locally.
The Nov 06, 2018 report summarized two recent visits by MECP to the Goodyear Farm noting various mitigation work carried out to reduce agricultural run-off into the lake. It also noted that MECP does not regulate non-point source run-off from agricultural operations under either the Ontario Water Resources Act or the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. This apparent lack of authority and by extension lack of enforcement by MECP is problematic in that there appears to be no municipal authority, conservation authority, provincial authority, or federal authority that DOES have regulation and enforcement authorities on this issue.
Below is a picture of agricultural run-off from Feb 25, 2018 when a winter melt occurred on Feb 19, 2018 and run-off from the farm was still occurring unabated almost a week later into the ditch along Thorah concession 9, and into Lake Simcoe at Thorah Centennial Public Beach. This is just one of 7 watercourses draining the Goodyear Farm.
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