Nitrate filters could become costly for Huron-Kinloss
By Liz Dadson

 Huron-Kinloss Council

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An experimental project could become costly for Huron-Kinloss Township residents.

A report from drainage superintendent Grant Collins to township council states that four nitrate filters, installed in the Pine River Watershed last fall, have been identified as water treatment systems and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) wants a Certificate of Approval attached to them. The cost would be $5,000 for each site.

Collins said that, once he explained what the units are, the ministry agreed that if a drainage engineer wrote a report incorporating each of them as a necessary part of the municipal drain, that would suffice. The reports for the four sites would cost about $7,000, he said.

"My concern, as drainage superintendent on behalf of the municipality, is that because these are experimental only and not proven or accepted practice, they should not become an official part of the drain," said Collins. "I believe landowners could appeal their assessments in connection with these installations."

In addition, he said the landowners co-operated as good citizens of the community, allowing their land to be used for this project. "Their receptiveness may have been different if they had thought the municipality would come back later with a bill for them to pay," said Collins.

He is awaiting a response from professor Will Robertson of the University of Waterloo who wanted these units installed as part of his research. Robertson may have an experimental permit that would alleviate the extra cost, Collins said.

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16/03/2009 05:22 PM

"I'm very upset about this," said councillor Anne Eadie. "We got all the approvals - from the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority, from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and from Environment Canada, to put these in. There's no maintenance. It's just a pile of rocks at the bottom of the drain."

"This is ridiculous," agreed councillor Jim Hanna, who suggested the township contact Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell for some assistance in getting the MOE to back down.
"Mitchell can't help us," said administrator Mary Rose Walden. "We have to do this through the Drainage Act and get the engineer's report."

"It's the MOE causing the problems," said Hanna. "Call Mitchell and get her help. Why are we having so much difficulty when we're doing the right thing? It's frustrating."

"They're making it very difficult for us to do research," agreed Eadie. "We used grant money to put these in; they cost $4,000 each. Now, we're expected to come up with more money? Why not tell us before we put them in the ground?" She noted that the costs for the engineer's report will be borne by the Pine River Watershed, not the landowners.

"Our volunteers put in a lot of hours and jumped through hoops to get this done," said Eadie. "We've run into some incredible road blocks. It's all very discouraging, as a volunteer, to have to put up with this.

"Nitrate filters work, and nitrates are a problem in this area. I wish the MOE would just let us do the research to improve the environment in our area."

"We're on the cutting edge here," said mayor Mitch Twolan.

"Then why are they giving us so much trouble?" asked Hanna.

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