I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my opposition to Bill 66

"Bill 66 represents an unprecedented and unacceptable attack on legislative provisions which currently safeguard environmental quality and public health and safety throughout Ontario."
(Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)

Affecting every municipality in Ontario, Bill 66 would allow municipalities across the province to create “open-for-business by-laws” trumping critical legal requirements to protect water, natural heritage, farmland and human health and well-being. These bylaws would take precedence over municipal official plans.

Threatening drinking water sources across Ontario, open-for-business by-laws would override policies in approved source protection plans intended to protect existing and future sources of municipal drinking water from threats such as landfills, sewage systems and improper handling of fuel, manure and pesticides.

Endangering wetlands, woodlands and habitat for species at risk across Ontario, Open-for-business by-laws would circumvent protections for these important habitats and species set out in the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) under the Planning Act.

Compromising farmland across Ontario, Open-for-business by-laws would bypass
agricultural protections set out, for example, in the PPS. This could lead to more urban sprawl.

Bill 66 compromises transparency and public engagement. Contrary to current
legal requirements (Planning Act, Clean Water Act), the by-laws could be passed without
any prior public notice, behind closed doors, leaving citizens without recourse. Community members would not be able to appeal open-for-business by-laws to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

Bill threatens human and wildlife health by exposure to toxic chemicals by repealing the Toxics Reduction Act, which requires industrial facilities to consider ways to reduce the use and emission of toxic chemicals in their operations

(Source: Ontario Nature Conservancy)