As a Sault Ste. Marie…

As a Sault Ste. Marie resident, and someone who enjoys recreating in and around the Goulais River, I cannot support the approval of dumping treated sewage into river.

Firstly, no formal consultation with the Batchewana First Nation has occurred. This was extremely disheartening to hear. Private companies should not be allowed to make decisions that affect the environment at all, and it's just offensive that they didn't consider to consult the people whose land they're making money off of. The Goulais River is an important area for Indigenous people. Cultural practices, ceremonies, and gatherings take place there. Fishing in the river is common for Indigenous folks and non-Indigenous folks alike.

The environmental concerns cannot be understated here. As the proposed filter treatment will only remove up to 85% of contaminants, the treated effluent will still contain phosphates, microplastics, and pharmaceutical residues. There are no plans in case of an emergency or failure of this system, and climate change is not addressed. The river has flood in the past and will flood again in the future, will this affect the system?

Environmental protections have been weakened here in Ontario, we should not let these private companies destroy our province.