I am opposed to any…

I am opposed to any weakening of our environmental protection legislation. I understand that this proposal will eliminate upfront assessment by the Ministry to determine if a proposed waste management system will cause environmental harm. The proposed delicensing requirement will expand the EASR permit by rule system which I understand already has a poor compliance record. It is a bad idea to expand the EASR to apply to waste management systems pertaining to hazardous waste, asbestos, PCB's, biomedical waste and naturally occurring radioactive materials. This will inevitably result in toxic wastes contaminating our air, water and soil, and thereby negatively impacting human health and the environment. the proposal also results in a weakening of the right of public to participate in environmental decision making as the notice requirements and opportunities to comment on the Environmental Registry will be eliminated.
I am particularly concerned because Thunder Bay is the potential site for several new lithium plants. While the industrial process for refining the lithium has not yet been disclosed, I understand that there are many hazardous chemicals associated with the making of lithium batteries and that there may be various waste management systems associated with the plants. Living on the shores of Lake Superior gives us the added responsibility of being stewards for this great source of drinking water and huge watershed that provides life for hundreds of thousands of people, fish, animals and other wildlife.
At a time when our environment is in such a precarious state, our government should be increasing its oversight, not eliminating it. I urge the government to not proceed with this proposed change.