Bill 66 puts farmland at risk, could be ‘devastating’ for region

Re: Region of Waterloo says no to Bill 66 — Jan. 9

Property owners upstream or upwind from you are about to be allowed to develop their lands, to pollute your air and/or water supply, without any ability for you to stop them.

An industrial plant, a toxic chemical factory that dumps waste into local rivers, a manufacturer that extracts huge amounts of groundwater, or perhaps even a housing development could be built on productive farmland, on wetlands or other environmentally sensitive land near where you live under the proposed provincial Bill 66.

Planning and environmental regulations can be ignored under the provisions of the proposed Bill 66, section 10.

Municipal governments will be under great pressure to allow projects to proceed without review, as conducting assessments and following regulations is deemed “unnecessary red tape” by many developers.

No public consultation, notice or meetings are required under Bill 66.

If a project is approved, there will be no appeal process allowed and no ability for recourse, no matter how flawed the original decision. The only criteria for approval is that a project creates at least 50 jobs.

If Bill 66 is passed without amendment, the consequences for you could be devastating.

We need to ensure that our environment is protected for the welfare of everyone and for future generations.

Andrew Wilson

New Hamburg