November 8, 2006
Manitoba Announces Further Action On Water Protection Plan
– – –Protection of Manitoba Water A Shared Responsibility: Struthers
Conservation Minister Stan Struthers today announced a third phase in the province’s Water Protection Plan that focuses on curbing the impact of people, communities and industry on Manitoba’s lakes and rivers.
“We have a shared responsibility to keep Manitoba’s waterways clean,” said Struthers. “This is part of a long-term action plan to help ensure clean water for tomorrow by reversing long-term neglect.
“If we want to pass on a legacy of clean, abundant water to our children, we must act decisively and provide appropriate resources to get the job done now to help ensure clean water for tomorrow. Our commitment to water quality has included raising the water and sewage-treatment standards for facilities in the cities of Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie. Over the last several years, we have taken significant steps to protect Manitoba’s water and today we continue this work by unveiling a third phase in our water protection plan.”
The first two phases of the plan focused on strengthening manure management planning, improving municipal land use planning, increasing water testing and consolidating water resources and services within Canada’s first department entirely devoted to water, Manitoba Water Stewardship.
The third phase of Manitoba’s Water Protection Plan builds on work already completed to protect water quality and contains the following new measures.
LEADING-EDGE REGULATIONS:
· Innovative regulations to protect water in Manitoba are coming into effect. Regulations limiting the use and application of manure in Manitoba have been expanded to include phosphorus, the nutrient linked to algae blooms in lakes and rivers. Manitoba is only the second province in Canada to regulate manure phosphorus and will have the one of the strongest such regulations in the country. Water Quality Management Zone regulations which include restrictions for synthetic fertilizers that contain phosphorus and nitrogen have also been published for comment. Manitoba will be the first province to regulate synthetic fertilizer. Agricultural operations will have to comply with the nutrient-management regulations through a series of phased-in dates.
· New buffer zones will reduce phosphorus and nitrogen in water. Starting in 2009, every farmer, homeowner, groundskeeper and municipality with land next to water will not be allowed to apply fertilizer in buffer zones. The province will also launch public consultations on the use of cosmetic fertilizers and other products that contain phosphorous. Once the regulation comes into effect, no new manure-storage facilities, waste-water lagoons, confined livestock areas or septic fields will be allowed in sensitive areas.
· Strict, new nutrient reduction levels are in place. New or upgraded municipal waste-water treatment facilities will be required to meet strict new nutrient-reduction levels, especially for phosphorous, in line with recommendations of the Clean Environment Commission.
STRENGTHENED FINES AND INSPECTION:
· Fines under the Environment Act will be increased to ensure they are in line with current standards.
· Loopholes will be closed that allowed some proponents to divide livestock development proposals to avoid public reviews of their proposals.
· New staffing resources will be added to support increased inspection and enforcement.
· A more robust focus will be placed on inspection and regulatory enforcement of existing septic fields and other private waste-water management systems starting with a focus on the capital region and along Lake Winnipeg.
SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCERS:
· Increased support for anaerobic digesters will be provided for pilot projects in emerging technology in which anaerobic digesters will be used to help in manure management processes.
· Enhanced tax credits for anaerobic digesters will help defray the costs of emerging manure management technology.
· Financial assistance will be made available to assist producers most affected by regulatory changes.
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MANITOBA’S WATER PROTECTION PLAN:
THE FIRST TWO PHASES
The provincial government today announced the third phase of the Manitoba Water Protection Plan. What were the first two phases?
PHASE ONE
The first phase of Manitoba’s Water Protection Plan began with a ban on the sale of bulk water. In 2000, Manitoba announced the Livestock Stewardship Initiative and appointed a panel to examine the livestock industry.
The panel’s report, Finding Common Ground, provided a blueprint that helped guide the province’s early work in developing the province’s Water Protection Plan.
Some key elements included:
· setting targets in the Lake Winnipeg Action Plan for a 10 per cent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorous;
· requiring more livestock operations to submit annual water-source tests;
· initiating studies on phosphorous, the nutrient linked to algae growth in Lake Winnipeg;
· establishing the Office of Drinking Water to enhance the protection of the province’s drinking water;
· reintroducing subsidized testing for private well owners that was previously cut;
· requiring drinking-water plant operators to be certified; and
· investing in upgrades of water systems in rural Manitoba.
PHASE TWO
The second phase of Manitoba’s Water Protection Plan began in 2003 with the creation of Canada’s first department entirely devoted to water, Manitoba Water Stewardship.
Some key initiatives undertaken during the second phase included:
· introducing the Water Protection Act and significant amendments to the Planning Act,
· expanding the ban on winter spreading to operations of 300 or more animal units and requiring manure management plans,
· requiring that older manure storage facilities be registered, and
· reducing the rates of manure application on environmentally-sensitive soils.
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MANITOBA’S WATER PROTECTION PLAN:
WHAT’S BEING ANNOUNCED TODAY?
The third phase of Manitoba’s Water Protection Plan, focusing on the principle of shared responsibility, is being announced today. It includes five significant new steps:
· Manitoba has expanded cutting-edge regulations to protect water in the province. Regulations limiting the use and application of manure in Manitoba have been expanded to include phosphorus, the nutrient linked to algae blooms in lakes and rivers. Manitoba is only the second province in Canada to regulate manure phosphorus and will have one of the strongest such regulations in the country. Regulations for water quality management zones that include restrictions for synthetic fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen have also been published for comment. Manitoba will be the first province to regulate synthetic fertilizer. Agricultural operations will have to comply with the nutrient-management regulations through a series of phased-in dates.
· Manitoba has completed its review of the hog production as recommended by the Clean Environment Commission (CEC). This review was expanded to include the entire province rather than limiting the review to the Assiniboine Valley region as recommended by the CEC.
· Manitoba’s Water Protection Plan will be referred to the CEC for a full, independent and public review.
· A temporary pause on new or expanded hog barns will be in place until the CEC public review is complete.
· A new Nutrient Management Assistance Fund will assist producers most affected by regulatory changes.
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