Re: Johnston Bros. (Bothwell…

Re: Johnston Bros. (Bothwell) Limited application to increase the area in which they can extract below the water table in the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, County of Huron.

I am completely opposed to this application and request it be rejected.

The application would increase the area of water extraction by 300%

Water is a critical natural resource necessary for local/ regional use. Extraction of water would reduce the water available for local/ regional use. I presume water extraction by Johnston Bros is for the purpose of creating bottled water for sale. Bottled water is unnecessary (public water supply is good quality) and also necessitates the use of disposable water bottles - acknowledged as being damaging to the environment in both their creation and disposal.
Estimates of local / regional water need must not influence a decision about this application. It is not possible to tell what actual water needs will be and no water should be considered "surplus" and thus available for sale.

We should be moving towards a ban of all water sale. As a first step in moving towards this goal there should be absolutely no increase in amount of water for sale or area of land from which water can be extracted.

Any estimates of local job creation by this expansion or of job loss with the rejection of this application must not influence decision making. Any enhanced job creation would be mainly in the initial construction phase and subsequent job creation would be minimal (as it is with other extraction industries).

I am also very concerned about the environmental impact of any construction involved in the expansion of the area of water extraction for the local residents of this area.

In view of the above I earnestly request that you reject this application.