BLUEWATER
SHORELINE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
GMB 411
R.R. 2 Zurich, ON N0M 2T0
______________________________________________________________________________
July
29, 2003
Mayor and Members
of Council
The Corporation of
the Municipality of Bluewater
14 Mill Street,
Zurich, Ontario
Re: Environmental
Issue – Surface Water Quality
The purpose of this
letter is to present recommendations made by BSRA’s Environment Committee and
endorsed by the BSRA Executive. We
would request the opportunity to make a brief presentation to Council to
clarify the intent behind these recommendations.
BSRA’s Environment
Committee was formed at our Annual Meeting last September and has now had an
opportunity to review environmental issues of concern to lakeshore residents
and develop initial action plans. The
primary environmental concern of lakeshore residents is surface water quality
both in the lake and in streams that flow into the lake. One of the initiatives undertaken by BSRA is
to expand the water quality testing that has been conducted at St. Joseph
Shores for the past five years to include three additional beaches in
Bluewater: Houston Heights, Sunset
Estates and Ridgeway. Seven other
subdivisions within Bluewater are also implementing lake water testing. Another
initiative is to undertake research in several areas related to water quality
in the lake.
A third initiative
is to make recommendations to Bluewater Council. In this regard, we would propose that Council consider
implementing the following:
1.
Assume a stronger leadership role in
representing Bluewater interests in environmental issues with other levels of
government and organizations outside of Bluewater.
2.
Upgrade sewage lagoon systems within
Bluewater to ensure constant discharge systems that includes filtration and
treatment of effluent are in place.
This would require, at a minimum, upgrading of the Zurich lagoons and
potentially others. Any upgrading
should include creating the capacity to process effluent from septic tank pump
outs and agricultural manure, thereby creating an alternative to spreading
manure on fields.
3.
Pass a septic system bylaw designed to
ensure all septic systems in Bluewater are functioning correctly.
4.
Increase the supports provided by
Council to “family farm” operations.
Family farm operators typically live in our community, are active
members of the community,
live by the same values as a majority of Bluewater
residents, and are a strong positive component of the Bluewater community. The
existence of family farm operations is under threat primarily from the
expansion of factory farms. Council should become
more involved in supporting this component of our
community.
5.
Impose a moratorium on livestock
“factory farm” developments – either expansions or new operations. Our research to this point indicates that,
while complex, a method of defining factory farms and family farms is
possible. We believe that factory farm
operations create an ongoing environmental risk due to the volume of manure
produced and the common farming practice of applying manure to agricultural
fields.
While we believe this issue will eventually be dealt
with on a provincial basis, Council has the power to achieve a moratorium for
the Municipality of Bluewater through its control of official plans, zoning
bylaws, bylaw variances and building permits.
6.
Impose a moratorium, pending
provincial action, on any expansion or implementation of livestock operations
that will use the application of liquid manure to agricultural fields as part
of their nutrient/manure management plan.
We look forward to responding to any questions from members of Council,
and seeing Council’s strategies for dealing with these environment issues that
affect all of Bluewater.
Sincerely,
Bob Campbell
President
BSRA
