I am deeply disturbed by…

I am deeply disturbed by many of the changes to streamline permits and environmental permissions in Ontario, including ERO number 019-6951, ERO number 019-6853, ERO number 019-6963, and ERO number 019-6928.

Without a governmental review or public participation in waste management, stormwater management, and water-taking projects, there will be weakened regulatory oversight in already vulnerable systems.

Water is the source of life. And yet, freshwaters are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. In Ontario, waste, stormwater pollution, and water taking already threaten freshwater ecosystems, and the people and wildlife that rely on them. Regulatory laws and structures like the Clean Water Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act exist to protect us - if anything, we should be strengthening, not weakening regulations.

According to the Government of Ontario's own website, Ontario contains one-fifth of the world's fresh water. We have a real opportunity to be global leaders in water conservation. It is absurd and reprehensible that in 2023 the provincial government would be weakening a review process that protects human and ecosystem health. These proposed changes represent gross negligence to our basic human right to safe, clean, and reliable water.