I wish to voice my objection…

I wish to voice my objection to the proposal brought forward by Premier Ford’s government to remove permit review requirements for developers.

Have we already forgotten the Brenntag fire that polluted Mimico Creek because the site didn’t have spill protection and the runoff found its was into the storm sewers? We need STRONGER protections to prevent future spills, not weaker ones.

How can it be considered to be a good idea for large scale and industrial developments to no longer be required to obtain a permit from the Ministry of the Environment? How can it be a good idea to bypass the engineering review of the surface and groundwater process which essentially is undoing the last 40 years of improvements to environmental protection? Developers frequently breach environmental regulations such as cutting down swaths of trees without permit approval and rarely face any consequences. The nominal fines that they may incur are passed off as the cost of doing business, and the fines are added on to the purchaser of the development.
These are the people we are going to trust to do the right thing?

We should not be streamlining or weakening any environmental regulations to make life easier for developers. Yes, we are in desperate need of housing in Ontario. But at any cost?

Would you purchase a home built in a neighbourhood where storm water management and other engineering principles were essentially ignored? Who will pay for the cost of flooding?
Once constructed, the damage is done.

I strongly object to this proposal. This government has clearly demonstrated that they have no regard for the environment by the removal of Greenbelt protections. This proposal will do no nothing but make it easier for developers to do as they please without regard for environmental impacts.