Policy Interface

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Policy Id:

SPR/SPA:

Risk:

3.03

Lower Thames Valley, St. Clair Region, Upper Thames River

Low, Moderate

Implementing Body

Legal Effect

Policy Tool

Threat Type

Status

Comment

MNR - Aggregate License

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

Aggregate licences within the Source Protection Area have been reviewed to ensure they are operating in accordance with the policy.

MNR - Aggregate Permit

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

There are no aggregate permits (Crown land) impacted by Source Protection policies.

MNR - Wayside Permit

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

There are no wayside permits impacted by Source Protection policies.

MECP – MRDWS – Fuel Handling & Storage

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

In progress/some progress made

All incoming applications to the Municipal Drinking Water Licencing Program are screened to determine if fuel storage or handling activities are being proposed or altered. Applications are reviewed to ensure conformance with significant drinking water threat policies. As part of the current round of licence renewals (with updated licences being issued between 2024-2027), licence conditions will be amended to ensure municipal drinking water system owners assess potential new and existing threats to drinking water per the most current version of the technical rules and any updated source protection plan policies, and implement mitigation measures where policies apply.

MECP – Pesticides

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

No pesticide permits that are Prescribed Instruments have been issued in this SPA. All pesticide permits undergo a site and pesticide specific evaluation by the ministry's Regional Pesticides Specialists. Conditions are placed on all issued pesticide permits, as required to mitigate potential risks. Additionally, Ontario has a strong and robust legislative and regulatory framework for the sale, use, storage and disposal of pesticides.

MECP - Wastewater/Sewage Works

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

Since May 2015, the Ministry has been screening environmental compliance approval (ECA) applications to determine if the activity is located in an area where the activity could be a significant drinking water threat. This is called the “primary screening”. Based on a set of criteria, an ECA application is flagged for a more detailed ‘secondary screening’ to determine if the activity associated with the application is a significant drinking water threat.

MECP – WDS – Hauled Sewage, Biosolids

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

Since May 2015, the ministry screens all (including new and existing) hauled sewage, processed organic waste, and biosolids disposal site Environmental Compliance Approval applications in accordance with Source Water Protection Plans. This includes consideration of whether the proposed activity would be a drinking water threat as outlined in the relevant Source Water Protection Plan under the Clean Water Act. The ministry will not issue an Environmental Compliance Approval for a site deemed as a significant drinking water threat. For sites deemed as a low or moderate drinking water threat, the ministry will consider the application, but additional site restrictions may apply. The ministry’s review and approval process is included in the Standard Operating Procedure that can be found in Environmental Registry No. 012-2968 (https://ero.ontario.ca/archive/012-2968).

MECP - WDS - Landfilling and Storage

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

Since May 2015, the Ministry has been screening environmental compliance approval (ECA) applications to determine if the activity is located in an area where the activity could be a significant drinking water threat. This is called the “primary screening”. Based on a set of criteria, an ECA application is flagged for a more detailed ‘secondary screening’ to determine if the activity associated with the application is a significant drinking water threat.

OMAFA - NASM Plans

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

The requirements and standards of the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 and Nutrient Management Regulation are adequate in most cases to manage moderate and low threat activities when followed in a NMS, NMP, or NASM plan. This position is based on the fact that the Regulation contains extensive land application standards and siting and construction requirements. However, consideration for conditions to address moderate or low threat activities will still be given for complex or unique scenarios in NMS or NASM plans.

OMAFA - NMS

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

The requirements and standards of the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 and Nutrient Management Regulation are adequate in most cases to manage moderate and low threat activities when followed in a NMS, NMP, or NASM plan. This position is based on the fact that the Regulation contains extensive land application standards and siting and construction requirements. However, consideration for conditions to address moderate or low threat activities will still be given for complex or unique scenarios in NMS or NASM plans.

MTO - Fuel

Have Regard to

Prescribed Instruments

Future

Implemented

There are currently no proposed Prescribed Instrument applications affected by Source Protection Policies.

Policy Text:

To reduce the risk to municipal drinking water sources from new activities that would be:

- subject to one or more Prescribed Instruments; and,
- located in areas where the activity would be a moderate or low drinking water threat;

the province should consider incorporating terms and conditions. These terms and conditions, when implemented, should manage the activity such that it does not become a Significant Drinking Water Threat. Where appropriate these terms and conditions should reduce the risk.

Monitoring Text:

5.03: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and all other implementers,
shall establish monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water
Act. The information collected through these monitoring programs shall be
included in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to
the Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by
February 1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date
of the Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information
since the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of
the year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report,
the information shall include information from the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan.

5.04: Ministry of Environment, and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February
1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since
the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the
year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.

5.05: Ministry of Natural Resources, and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by
February 1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date
of the Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information
since the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of
the year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report,
the information shall include information from the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan.

5.06: Ministry of Transportation and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by
February 1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date
of the Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information
since the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of
the year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report,
the information shall include information from the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan.