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Policy Id:

SPR/SPA:

Risk:

CG-NB-16.1

Grand River

Significant

Implementing Body

Legal Effect

Policy Tool

Threat Type

Status

Comment

MECP – NMA - ASM and NASM Inspections

Strategic

Specify Actions to be taken to implement plan or achieve its objectives

Future & Existing

Implemented

The Ministry undertakes an annual planned inspection program that addresses risk to human and environmental health at Agricultural sites. Inspections target Agricultural Source Material (ASM) and Non-Agricultural Source Material (NASM) as regulated under the Nutrient Management Act. An intentional, core function of the Nutrient Management Act is to keep nutrients, pathogens and contaminants away from wells and surface water which in turn support the objectives of Source Water Protection. Inspections are designed to prioritize operations which could present a higher risk to these features. Each year diagnostics are completed on the results of these various inspections. DWECD inspection programs are run on a fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) rather than a calendar year basis. The IT system used to track inspections under the general agriculture program in FY 2022-23 does not currently include Source Protection information. This issue is expected to be resolved in the future. Given this temporary limitation, we can only provide high-level inspection data. A total of 204 agricultural inspections were completed in fiscal year 2022-23. One or more legal violations were identified in 108 (53%) of the 204 inspections. At the conclusion of 2022-23 fiscal, most non-compliances were resolved with ongoing abatement in only 26 (13%) of the inspections.

Policy Text:

To ensure existing and future application or storage of agricultural source material ceases to be and/or never becomes a significant drinking water threat, for operations which are managed by Nutrient Management Plans and Strategies under the Nutrient Management Act and located within a vulnerable area where the application or storage is or would be a significant drinking water threat The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks shall consider prioritizing and conducting regular compliance inspections of agricultural operations, as appropriate, where significant drinking water threat activities exist, and shall consider guiding farmers to improve compliance performance, when needed.

Monitoring Text:

N/A