It’s back. The “it” is the Great Lakes Protection Act, and, in February 2015, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change announced that the Act had been reintroduced. For those of you who have been following this issue, you know that the bill was first introduced in June 2012, but it didn’t get much traction.
So what’s changed? And why is this legislation again being considered? If I were to speculate, based on recent environmental news stories, I would say that it might be a matter of the right “climate” to reintroduce this Act.
Harmful Algal Blooms
Some recent events that may make this a more favourable climate for the reintroduction of this Act include last year’s International Joint Commission (IJC) report. The report from the IJC, “A Balanced Diet for Lake Erie, Reducing Phosphorus Loading and Harmful Algal Blooms” turned out to be somewhat prophetic as the summer of 2014 saw harmful algal blooms that led to the water crisis in Toledo, Ohio.
So, what will the Great Lakes Protection Act provide? According to the Ontario Government, if passed, it will provide the following:
• Help fight climate change, reduce harmful algal blooms, and protect wetlands and other coastal areas.
• Monitor and report on the health of the lakes.
• Bring people together to take action on priority issues.
• Build on Ontario’s leadership in protecting the Great Lakes…
While I personally think that list of benefits is equal parts politics, sales, and good intentions, I think we can all agree that genuine efforts to protect our Great Lakes are something we can all support. Translating these good intentions into workable solutions based on sound, scientific principles is something the regulated community will be watching with great interest. As we know, identifying problems is one thing; however, getting to the source of the problems and workable solutions is another thing entirely.
One of the industries that has long been associated with potential impact to the Great Lakes is agriculture, including greenhouses. And, if you are one of the more than 200 greenhouse growers in the Leamington, Ontario, area, you are all too aware of this “attention.”
This focus on agriculture is one of the reasons why Dr. Michael Sklash was asked last year by the US-based National Milk Producers Federation to do a webinar on how to investigate nitrate runoff on agricultural operations.
So, will this most recent version of the Great Lakes Protection Act have a better fate than it did in 2012? I have no idea. However, I suspect that watersheds in the Great Lakes basin will receive increased attention in the years to come, and there will likely be additional environmental management requirements as a result of this attention.
As always, we’ll continue to monitor this and other developing environmental issues. And in the meantime, if you need assistance with an environmental issue, please feel free to contact me (ahahn@dragun.com) at 519-979-7300, ext 132.