(Queen’s Park) – Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop said today that Environment Minister Dombrowsky’s moratorium on new and expanded water-taking permits will do absolutely nothing to stop the water-taking process at Site 41 and the Adams Mine.

“This is clearly a case of smoke-and mirrors,” said Dunlop. “On one hand, the Minister is penalizing people who bottle water for a living, yet on the other hand, the Minister is turning a blind eye to the real issue.”

Dunlop noted that Site 41 would require extensive dewatering during construction and during its 80-year life span as a landfill. To put this into context, 160 billion litres of water would have to be pumped out of the property over the course of this 80-year period.

Today’s announcement by the Environment Minister coincides with the release of Dunlop’s petition in the Legislature of Ontario calling for a moratorium on the development of Site 41 until new water source protection legislation promised by the Minister is passed.

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)