Ford government must stop gutting drinking water protections or risk putting lives in danger

Nov 28, 2019 @ 08:01 – Jeff Burch, MPP for Niagara Centre and NDP critic for municipal affairs, released the following statement after the president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario told a government committee Monday that municipalities are asking to be released from legal liability for dangerous drinking water as a result of the Ford government’s gutting of water protections.

“It is unbelievable that in 2019 we are rolling back water protections to the point that municipal leaders are fearful that they will be held liable for a future disaster that is made almost inevitable by this government’s shortsightedness.

I don’t understand why this Premier is so determined to repeat the Walkerton disaster. Protecting clean and safe drinking water is not ‘red tape’. Since taking office, Ford has repealed the Toxics Reduction Act, scrapped nine regulations that limit discharges of industrial water pollution, and reduced penalties for polluters. His government has also overruled municipal plans that protect against threats to groundwater due to aggregate extraction.

The Premier must withdraw Schedule 9 of Bill 132 immediately or risk putting the lives of Ontarians in danger.”

New Democratic Party