Ontario ministries consider water regulation changes

by SUSAN MANN

The provincial government is studying a different way to regulate the management of greenhouse storm water and wash water from produce on farms.

Mark Cripps, press secretary to Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin, says Ontario’s agriculture and environment ministries are looking at alternatives to farmers being regulated under environment ministry rules. “The hope is that those findings will be presented to industry stakeholders in the summer.”

Currently, anyone discharging more than 10,000 litres of water a day must get an Environmental Compliance Approval, formerly called a Certificate of Approval, from the environment ministry. The name of the approval document was changed after the ministry streamlined the approval process in October 2011. There haven’t been any changes to environmental standards or compliance requirements.

Growers say it’s expensive to get the approval and question the need for farmers to get it. The matter came to light last year, prompted by a series of meetings the environment ministry held with horticultural groups. The ministry has been working on a province-wide strategy with horticulture and greenhouse grower groups plus the agriculture ministry to improve farmers’ environmental practices for produce wash and storm water management. The environment ministry has been meeting regularly with the sector to explain its compliance approach and outline its requirements so growers have a consistent understanding of regulations, explains its spokesperson, Kate Jordan.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has asked the government to draft regulations governing horticultural farmers under the Nutrient Management Act and implement a moratorium on the environment ministry requiring farmers to get their compliance approvals until the new regulations are in place.

Brian Gilroy, association property section chair, says if the government requires farmers to get compliance approvals “so be it but let us do it in a cost effective and efficient manner.” For example, the government should axe the current requirements for a professional engineer or qualified consultant to design sewage systems for storm and wash water handling.

Gilroy says it’s also ridiculous that the government charges $7,500 for the compliance approval application fee.

Gilroy says they have received a commitment from the provincial agriculture ministry that “they’re going to take a hard look at including horticultural production under the Nutrient Management Act.”

Jordan says they’re aware the fruit and vegetable growers association has asked the agriculture ministry to regulate their operations under the Nutrient Management Act or “an alternative regulation.” She confirmed the ministry is working with the agriculture ministry to review that request.

In the meantime, the environment ministry is continuing to work with the horticulture sector “to make sure they have a clear understanding of our requirements and that they’re complying with them,” she says. BF