Lake Ontario Basin Update
A Perfect Storm
By Krystyn Tully, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Every time it rains in downtown
Toronto, the harbour turns a distinct
shade of murky brown. Same thing in
Kingston, Belleville, and Hamilton. It’s a
tired sight, familiar and repulsive all at
once.
Aging sewage overflows are not the only problem, though.
Younger cities and suburban areas once considered more
pristine than gritty downtown cores are experiencing similar
declines in water quality. Pesticides, the contents of swimming
pools, discarded household chemicals and other nasty toxins are
dumped into our sewer systems with alarming regularity. As a
result, Lake Ontario suffers.
Stormwater pollution is a nightmare of an environmental issue
for government in Ontario. It affects all levels of government. It
costs a lot of money to fix. And there is no single, “bad guy” or
culprit to shoulder the blame.
Overlapping jurisdictions makes it easy for all levels of government
to pass the buck and to come under fire when they try to
be proactive. Many cities in Ontario are passing pesticides
by-laws, using the limited power of a municipality to keep toxic
chemicals out of our waterways. When they do, a powerful,
industry-funded pro-pesticide lobby inevitably challenges their
authority. Fortunately, such legal challenges rarely succeed.
The Province of Ontario is responsible for making sure that
every person or corporation operating within its borders
complies with its environmental laws. The Environmental
Protection Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act both state
that no one can dump toxins into the water. These laws are
most effective in deterring municipalities from operating
polluting sewer systems in the first place. They can encourage
cities to make sure everything coming out of its pipes is clean,
while cities can use by-laws to encourage citizens and corporations
to ensure everything going into the pipes is clean.
In the past, Ontario has hesitated to impose water quality
standards on cities. When Environment Hamilton brought their
city’s leaking pipes to the Ministry of Environment’s attention,
the MOE issued clean up orders … and then quietly withdrew
them some months later. And when Kingston’s sewage washed
up on a nearby island after a heavy rainstorm, the MOE
refused to lay charges or to order the city to ward against future
bypasses. The Canadian Environmental Law Association and
Waterkeeper have vigorously protested this decision.
Municipalities, too, have problems making lofty laws work in
everyday life. Big polluters usually buy their way out of
complying with strict municipal by-laws, paying cities to violate
the rules with impunity.
While law enforcement has languished, public education efforts
have raised awareness of stormwater issues to an all-time high.
Effective programs have been implemented by a number of NGO
and government organizations all around the lake, encouraging
the public to recycle rainwater, keep chemicals out of storm
drains, abandon pesticides, and clean up after their pets.
With such broad public support for better stormwater
management, it’s time to branch out. To solve the stormwater
crisis,we need a variety of approaches: a combination of carrots
and sticks coming from all directions, reminding government
and citizens that stormwater is an urgent problem, a fixable
problem, and a legal problem.
That murky brown harbour water is a constant reminder: it
doesn’t have to be this way. To solve the problem, we need more
grassroots organizations, citizens, corporations, and governments
focused on a single goal: make it safe to swim, and drink,
and fish from Lake Ontario every single day of the year.
For more information:
Krystyn Tully, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
245 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto, ONT M5J 2K9
PH: (416) 861-1237 • E-mail: krystyn@waterkeeper.ca
Website:www.waterkeeper.ca
What Can You Do?
Got a problem with contaminated stormwater? Always
document what you see.Write down the time, the date, what it
looks like,how it’s contaminated, the source,and if there are people,
birds, or fish in the area. Then tell someone. Too often we forget
to report stormwater because it seems so routine. Anywhere in
Ontario, you can call 1-866-MOE-TIPS to report pollution. When you
do, you start creating an official record of the problem. Also, publish
it on your web site and notify your local councillor. If it’s an ongoing
problem or a real threat to the environment, file an Application
for Investigation with the Environment Commissioner of Ontario
and ask the Ministry of Environment. If it’s a chronic problem with
too many sources to pinpoint, maybe you need a new policy or law.
You can file an Application for Review with the province, or
educate your local councillor about the need for a bylaw. And don’t
forget to push for funding. If your organization has a mandate to
lobby, it’s always good to remind government about the need for
capital improvements. No one gets elected promising to put
more sewers in the ground, unless they have support from the
grassroots!
Disclaimer:
The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.
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