INVITATION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE REVISED TERMS OF REFERENCE (WORK PLAN) FOR DRINKING WATER SOURCE PROTECTION PLANNING IN THE NORTH BAY - MATTAWA SOURCE PROTECTION AREA
Drinking Water Source Protection, related to Ontario’s Clean Water Act, 2006 is a provincial initiative designed to protect the quality and quantity of our municipal drinking water sources. The initiative involves the development of a local plan by a local committee that will identify and address potential threats to the source water for the municipal drinking water systems in Callander, Mattawa, North Bay, Powassan and South River. The local Source Protection Committee consists of ten members selected to represent the various stakeholders in the community.
As one of the three tasks assigned by the Clean Water Act, 2006 the committee developed a work plan (the Terms of Reference) to accomplish the other two tasks: a science based assessment report that will identify potential risks and issues and the source protection plan, which will outline land use and other policies to address identified risks. Public comments were received for 30 days, following which the draft Terms of Reference was revised where appropriate. In accordance with the Clean Water Act, the revised Terms of Reference was then submitted to the local Source Protection Authority for their review. The Source Protection Authority is now accepting public comments on the revised Terms of Reference before it is submitted to the Minister of the Environment for final approval.
NOTE: The Terms of Reference is the first stage of developing the local Source Protection Plan. There will be additional public consultation on both the Assessment Report (details local conditions and potential risks) in 2009/2010 and the actual Source Protection Plan itself in 2012.
PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMISSION PERIOD
The public is invited to review the revised Terms of Reference online at www.actforcleanwater.ca, or in person between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at 15 Janey Avenue, North Bay. Written comments regarding the revised Terms of Reference must be submitted by August 15, 2008 to:
Marc Charron, Chair
North Bay - Mattawa Source Protection Authority
Address: 15 Janey Avenue, North Bay, ON P1C 1N1
Fax: 705-474-9793 Email: nbmspc@nbmca.on.ca
