I'm writing in support of…

I'm writing in support of Environment Hamilton's campaign to "Nix Bill 66". As a lifelong environmentalist, member of Environment Hamilton, and an active and engaged resident of the City of Hamilton I am strongly opposed to Bill 66 and the proposed open-for-business planning tool, for the following reasons:

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

2. It threatens drinking water 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.

3. It threatens 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.

4. It threatens 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.

5. It threatens two million acres of natural areas and farmland across the Greenbelt.
Open-for-business by-laws would override protections for natural heritage and farmland set out in the Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.

6. It threatens freshwater and the ecological health of the Lake Simcoe watershed. Open-for-business bylaws would trump requirements set out in the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.

7. It would undermine efforts to make Ontario communities more livable, sustainable and resilient. Open-for-business by-laws would override PPS policies supporting active transportation, affordable housing, green infrastructure and climate resiliency.

8. It would compromise 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.

9. It would leave citizens without recourse. Community members would not be able
to appeal open-for-business by-laws to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

10. It threatens human and wildlife health through increased exposure to toxic
chemicals. Bill 66 proposes to repeal the Toxics Reduction Act, which requires certain
industrial facilities to consider ways to reduce the use and emission of toxic chemicals in
their operations.