On the eve of World Water Day recognition, a motion aimed at protecting Lake Simcoe was tabled at Queen's Park.
Sandy Shaw, the NDP's official opposition critic for environment, conservation and parks, holds a press conference with Claire Malcolmson, executive director of the Lake Simcoe Relief Coalition, calling on the government to address Lake Simcoe's deteriorating health. appealed for the prompt implementation of protection strategies. lake.
Shaw said a large amount of stormwater runoff is accumulating in Lake Simcoe, impacting the health of the water. Phosphorus in runoff creates algae, which throws the entire system out of balance, she said.
Mr. Shaw's motion outlines three important steps. One is implementing the Lake Simcoe Protection Act of 2008, which reduces phosphorus loads to 44 tonnes per year by 2030, and the environmental impact of the proposed Bradford Bypass and associated urban sprawl on water quality. phosphorus abatement facilities and begin construction of phosphorus abatement facilities. By the end of the year.
The conservative government has promised to finance the plant. But Malcolmson said that would only solve him 1-2% of the problem.
“We know that development in this watershed is projected to be very large in the coming decades, and we know that development in this basin is projected to be very large in the coming decades, and that it will lead to increased growth in the area of sprawl, sediment movement, agricultural land, and in some cases wetlands and forests. … We know that all of this has a negative impact, so we need to look at the big picture,” Malcolmson said.
Mr Malcolmson also raised concerns about increasing salinity in Lake Simcoe. Increasing salinity, combined with high phosphorus concentrations and rising water temperatures, exacerbates algae blooms. He urged the state to address the issue in tandem with phosphorus reduction efforts.
