Dear Editor:
(An open letter to Whitewater Region Mayor Hal Johnson.)
Thanks for your email.
Unfortunately given that the existing Effluent Treatment Plant contributes 1 percent of the total phosphorus into Muskrat Lake (MOECC Data) and the new plant will cut that amount to about 0.10 percent to 0.30 percent, in my opinion it’s not the best use of over $9 million. There may be other reasons for upgrading the existing Effluent Treatment Plant but don’t claim that quote : “project clearly has a great benefit to the future of the lake’s health”.
A much better use would be to spend the money required to develop a remediation plan for Muskrat Lake. With that plan we can submit a “Request for Review”. That request, if approved, will require the government to pass a “Protection Plan & Protection Act” for Muskrat Lake. As I’ve stated before, this is what Lake Simcoe has and that’s what Muskrat Lake needs if we ever hope to get this lake back to some relatively normal condition.
If you don’t believe me then I suggest that you call the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and they will tell you the same thing.
The Whitewater Region council, in my opinion, has been misled by Jp2g as any schedule I’ve seen from them mentions nothing about a possible delay of the Effluent Treatment Plant of about a year if a concerned group or citizen files an objection or comment to the Environmental Status Report (ESR).
When I called Jp2g after receiving their letter of March 10, 2017 they threatened me by saying that if we, the Muskrat Lake Association, submit the Part ll Request Form that we will be blamed for cancelling the Effluent Treatment Plant project.
Is that why you hired Jp2g, to intimidate and insult the residents of Whitewater Region because we want to exercise our legal right?
If you don’t want people to express their concerns, then WHY did you put a” Notice of Completion” in the Whitewater News two weeks in a row telling people they have 30 days to make comments? Also, your same notice says to fill out a form that doesn’t even exist.
We have 30 days to file because our concern, in our opinion, is not being addressed. Jp2g, in our opinion, has not done an adequate investigation and has not negotiated with the MNRF in the best interests of Whitewater Region.
The MNRF concern about the Blanding turtle and the MOECC concerns are being addressed but the concern of the Muskrat Lake Association is not!
Our understanding is that this is the last time we will have a chance to be heard and I firmly believe we should file our concern. Right now we are planning on filing by next Friday.
If you want to discuss let me know your phone number, when you are available and I will call you.
Regards,
Donald W. Deer., P. Eng., Cobden
