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LETTER: Province ignoring importance of clean drinking water in Teedon Pit plan

'Our Ministry, whose biggest responsibility should be "protecting" our water, is handing out permits for companies to wash gravel with it,' writer says. 'It is appalling'
2021-01-22-Teedon-Pit
A aerial view of the Teedon Pit on Darby Road in Tiny Township.

Midland Today welcomes letters to the editor. They can be sent to [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).

An open letter to Erinn Lee, environmental scientist in the permit to take water unit of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks), as well as MECP Minister John Yurek and Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop.

Dear Ms. Lee,

One does not require a science degree to know that pumping millions of litres of "PRISTINE" water out of the Alliston Aquifer is quite possibly the most irresponsible thing our Ministry can do.

There are people in the World (including our own Province of Ontario), who do not have access to clean drinking water. Our Ministry, whose biggest responsibility should be "protecting" our water, is handing out permits for companies to wash gravel with it. It is appalling, to say the least.

It is my understanding that now, yet another gravel company is asking for a Permit To Take Water. This practice must be stopped.

No one can guarantee 100% that there is no risk involved with this practice. There are already citizens whose wells are showing turbidity in the area.  And who will be held accountable, should a polluting incident occur?  The only safe decision is to stop the permits to take water and to stop the mining in this "particularly" sensitive environmental area. It is the "recharge zone" of the Alliston Aquifer.

We, (those of us fighting to protect the Gold Standard Water), choose to listen to "science."

There is research being done right now yy world-renowned scientists, who have been studying the Earth's water for decades.

Tiny Township asked for a moratorium, while this incredibly important work can be completed. Tay Township endorsed Tiny's motion.

You and the Ministry are choosing to ignore whole Townships and thousands of Ontario residents to give aggregate companies a higher priority than our precious groundwater. It is reprehensible.

These actions should be considered criminal, when we know clean drinking water is at a premium on this Planet.  It is a crime against Nature, Wildlife and all humans who are sick and or dying because they have no access to clean drinking water.  Why is there no responsible protection of our Province of Ontario waters?

A response is requested and thank you for reading my letter.

Sincerely,

Donna Deneault

Victoria Harbour