As I resident of Oro Medonte…

As I resident of Oro Medonte Line 5 North and Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Medicine I am appalled at the potential adverse impacts of Bill 66 on a wide variety of functions. The assumptions and goals behind the Bill "stimulate business investment, create good jobs, and make Ontario more competitive by cutting unnecessary regulations that are inefficient, inflexible or out of date" are not supported by evidence that there is a problem or that the Act will result in any favorable outcomes. The Bill is driven solely by political doctrine and expediency and wishful thinking. Public policy should be fully informed by evidence. I am certain the only outcome of the Bill will be to give businesses free reign to ignore public health risks and broader societal requirements.

I am particularly concerned about impairment of water quality (in Simcoe County and elsewhere) and encroachment on current designated and protected green belts and county and Provincial forests and preserves. I fully support local Councils passing motions that they will not implement provisions that impact the environment.