I am submitting this comment…

I am submitting this comment as a concerned landowner in Goulais River.

I oppose the current proposal due to unresolved environmental risks and gaps in the scientific assessment.

Studies show that treated wastewater, even at regulated levels, can significantly impact freshwater systems. Research published in Science of the Total Environment (Vol. 930, 2024) demonstrates that microplastics and emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, nanoplastics) persist through conventional treatment systems such as SBRs and accumulate in riverbeds, where they enter the food web. These pollutants have been shown to affect fish reproduction, endocrine systems, and invertebrate health.

The Goulais River flows into sensitive habitat identified in the Lake Superior Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, including areas critical for Lake Sturgeon, Tiger Muskellunge, and cold-water trout species. Nutrient loading from nitrogen and phosphorus, even within provincial limits, can trigger algae blooms and oxygen depletion in smaller rivers with limited seasonal flow, posing a measurable risk to these species.

A concerning omission in the proposal is the lack of an emerging-contaminants plan and the decision by the resort not to recycle the treated effluent for on-site snowmaking. If the water is not considered clean enough for their own use, it raises serious questions about whether it is appropriate to discharge into the Goulais River.

Additionally, the long-term capacity modelling for the resort's future phases (upwards of 150,000 L/day of added effluent) is unclear, and cumulative watershed impacts were not assessed.

Given these uncertainties and the ecological sensitivity of the region, I respectfully request that the Ministry require:

- An independent cumulative effect assessment
- Am emerging-contaminants analysis
-Hydrological modelling for all planned development phases
- Evaluation of higher efficiency alternatives (MBR/MBBR)

Until these steps are completed, approval would be premature and potentially harmful to the watershed and its species.