Public consultation and…

Public consultation and input must continue to be part of the granting of water taking permits. Studies should always be carried out to fully understand the impact of water taking on each individual site and rules should not be streamlined to make it easier for companies to take water for 1)cleaning aggregate, 2)storing ground water in pits or 3)the use of slurry to move aggregate. It is more likely to harm the environment if oversight of these operations is removed. It is better to keep the present regulations in place.
Furthermore, the Conservation Authorities Act should be restored to its previous power and be able to oversee the granting of permissions for water taking in areas that it previously had jurisdiction over.