I am opposed to this…

I am opposed to this proposal. Having LIRA bypass the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks does not solely reduce redundancy, but allows corporations relaxed laws when it comes to water use. The MECP is an additional check to provide adequate protection to endangered and indigenous species that are either aquatic in nature, or make use of the water for survival. Relaxing the laws protecting these species by bypassing a governing body dedicated to protecting them is a step backwards for ecosystems in which this new proposal is to directly affect.

Also, LIRA lacks specific checks that obtaining a permit from MECP would require, making it easier for companies to move in without as much regard for ecosystems, indigenous peoples, population water use and proper water treatment procedures.

LIRA, apart from being outdated for water management facilities, does not have a system in place for public input once it is in place. All of these factors make me worried about the proposal and if reducing redundancy is truly the end goal, I feel like an amalgamation of LIRA AND the MECP (working together to ensure environmental and public protections are still in place) should be planned rather than just relying on an outdated system.