Ontario's Nutrient Management Act Becomes Law
>From the Globe and Mail ...
Ontario takes slice out of cow pie
Canadian Press
Wednesday, June 26 - Online Edition, Posted at 2:55 PM EST
Toronto - A bill nervously anticipated by Ontario's farmers became law Wednesday, paving the way for the province to set and enforce standards for the spreading and disposal of potentially lethal animal manure.
Spawned by the Walkerton E. coli tragedy two years ago in which cattle waste poisoned the town's water, the Nutrient Management Act aims to protect the province's waterways from farm-animal contamination.
"For the people who are abusing the system right now ... they're going to have some profound change," Agriculture Minister Helen Johns said. "They may not be farming."
The law sets up fines of $10,000 a day for violations. Regulations to be set later by the government will determine various standards.
Six committees are poised to devise the regulations, which will likely be put in place some time in the fall, Ms. Johns said.
The regulations will, for example, establish minimum distances to watersheds and the maximum amount of manure that can be spread on any piece of land.
Rules will initially apply to large industrial farms but will eventually affect every farm.
Critics argue that the law does not go far enough to protect water sources, because it applies only to animal waste, not to pesticides or other farm threats to the environment.
In his report on the tainted-water disaster, Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor noted the shortcoming and suggested that the legislation be broadened.
He also suggested that the Environment Ministry be the lead agency when it comes to water-source protection.
The government has refused.
"Obviously, Environment doesn't know what best practices should be, because they don't deal with agriculture on a day-to-day basis," Ms. Johns said.
Both opposition parties voted against the law.
"We're being asked to support a bill without knowing what is going to be in the regulations," Liberal Steve Peters said.
Jack Wilkinson of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture said farmers realize a law is needed to avoid a situation such as that in the Netherlands, where there are too many animals and vast quantities of excess manure.
"There's a lot of farmers out there who are very nervous," Mr. Wilkinson said. "If this is done wrong, it could very critically hurt their competitiveness."
The province will have to come up with money to help farmers meet the regulations because it's all but impossible to pass the costs onto consumers, given the global nature of many commodities, Mr. Wilkinson said.
The province is setting aside $500-million over the next two years to help municipalities upgrade drinking-water systems, and that kind of program needs to be in place for farmers, he said.
"As a farm community we'd like the same respect."
Ms. Peters said the government has ignored Judge O'Connor's recommendation to include financial incentives for farmers to help them comply with the law.
Progressive Conservative Bill Murdoch, a cattle farmer, agreed that the cost of meeting the regulations will be crucial.
"This could be the same sort of a boondoggle," he said in reference to the tough rules surrounding drinking water that have left many smaller municipalities struggling.
Ontario takes slice out of cow pie
Canadian Press
Wednesday, June 26 - Online Edition, Posted at 2:55 PM EST
Toronto - A bill nervously anticipated by Ontario's farmers became law Wednesday, paving the way for the province to set and enforce standards for the spreading and disposal of potentially lethal animal manure.
Spawned by the Walkerton E. coli tragedy two years ago in which cattle waste poisoned the town's water, the Nutrient Management Act aims to protect the province's waterways from farm-animal contamination.
"For the people who are abusing the system right now ... they're going to have some profound change," Agriculture Minister Helen Johns said. "They may not be farming."
The law sets up fines of $10,000 a day for violations. Regulations to be set later by the government will determine various standards.
Six committees are poised to devise the regulations, which will likely be put in place some time in the fall, Ms. Johns said.
The regulations will, for example, establish minimum distances to watersheds and the maximum amount of manure that can be spread on any piece of land.
Rules will initially apply to large industrial farms but will eventually affect every farm.
Critics argue that the law does not go far enough to protect water sources, because it applies only to animal waste, not to pesticides or other farm threats to the environment.
In his report on the tainted-water disaster, Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor noted the shortcoming and suggested that the legislation be broadened.
He also suggested that the Environment Ministry be the lead agency when it comes to water-source protection.
The government has refused.
"Obviously, Environment doesn't know what best practices should be, because they don't deal with agriculture on a day-to-day basis," Ms. Johns said.
Both opposition parties voted against the law.
"We're being asked to support a bill without knowing what is going to be in the regulations," Liberal Steve Peters said.
Jack Wilkinson of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture said farmers realize a law is needed to avoid a situation such as that in the Netherlands, where there are too many animals and vast quantities of excess manure.
"There's a lot of farmers out there who are very nervous," Mr. Wilkinson said. "If this is done wrong, it could very critically hurt their competitiveness."
The province will have to come up with money to help farmers meet the regulations because it's all but impossible to pass the costs onto consumers, given the global nature of many commodities, Mr. Wilkinson said.
The province is setting aside $500-million over the next two years to help municipalities upgrade drinking-water systems, and that kind of program needs to be in place for farmers, he said.
"As a farm community we'd like the same respect."
Ms. Peters said the government has ignored Judge O'Connor's recommendation to include financial incentives for farmers to help them comply with the law.
Progressive Conservative Bill Murdoch, a cattle farmer, agreed that the cost of meeting the regulations will be crucial.
"This could be the same sort of a boondoggle," he said in reference to the tough rules surrounding drinking water that have left many smaller municipalities struggling.
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