Raceway

Presentation regarding the Fort Erie Raceway Proposal.

by Louisette Lanteigne, 700 Star Flower Ave., Waterloo Ont. N2V 2L2

Land-Use Planning

• Traditionally, the underlying belief of planning is that collective rationality can be brought into the way our cities are built rather than leaving it up to individuals in the marketplace where inefficiencies may prevail especially with respect to long-term thinking (Makuch, 2004).

Land Use Planning and Private Development Bias

• Planning is a highly charged financial process - development or redevelopment can mean big bucks for private individuals.

• Private interests may have deleterious implications despite the benefits they may bring about and thus must be reconciled with the interests that the public has for appropriate development that takes into consideration other values such as environmental protection and not overburdening municipal services (Swaigen, 1993).

Planning Act

• The Act contains myriad policies in support of strict prohibition of proposed development

• Section1.1 outlines the purpose:(a) to promote sustainable economic development in a

healthy natural environment within the policy and by the means provided under this Act.

Supporting PPS Provisions

• 2.1.1 Natural features and areas shall be protected for the long term.

• 2.1.2 The diversity and connectivity of natural features in an area, and the long-term ecological function and biodiversity of natural heritage systems, should be maintained, restored or, where possible, improved, recognizing linkages between and among natural heritage features and areas, surface water features and ground water features.

Planning Act cont’d…

• Section 2 stipulates the Provincial Interest in broad terms:

(a) the protection of ecological systems, including natural areas, features and functions

(c) the conservation and management of natural resources and the mineral resource base


Provincial Interest cont’d(d) the conservation of features of significant architectural,

cultural, historical, archaeological or scientific interest;(e) the supply, efficient use and conservation of energy

and water;


Provincial Interest cont’d(h) the orderly development of safe and healthy

communities;(l) the protection of the financial and economic well-being

of the Province and its municipalities;


Provincial Interest cont’d(n) the resolution of planning conflicts involving public and

private interests;(o) the protection of public health and safety;

(p) the appropriate location of growth and development.

‘Consistency’ with Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)

• Pursuant to Section 3 subsection 5 of the Planning Act, all land-use decisions must be consistent with the PPS – a more stringent standard

• The proposed site must comply to sections 2.1 Natural Heritage and 2.2 Water from section 2.0 Wise Use and Management of Resources, which the proposal violates.

Supporting PPS Provisions cont’d…

• 2.1.6 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted on adjacent lands to the natural heritage features and areas identified in policies 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and 2.1.5 unless the ecological function of the adjacent lands has been evaluated and it has been demonstrated that there will be no negative impacts on the natural features or on their ecological functions.


• 2.2.1 Planning authorities shall protect, improve or restore the quality and quantity of water by:

a) using the watershed as the ecologically meaningful scale for planning;

b) minimizing potential negative impacts, including cross-jurisdictional and cross-watershed impacts;

c) identifying surface water features, ground water features, hydrologic functions and natural heritage features and areas which are necessary for the ecological and hydrological integrity of the watershed;

d) implementing necessary restrictions on development and site alteration to:1. protect all municipal drinking water supplies and designated vulnerable areas; and 2. protect, improve or restore vulnerable surface and ground water, sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water features, and their hydrologic functions;


e) maintaining linkages and related functions among surface water features, ground water features, hydrologic functions and natural heritage features and areas;

f) promoting efficient and sustainable use of water resources, including practices for water conservation and sustaining water quality; and

g) ensuring stormwater management practices minimize stormwater volumes and contaminant loads, and maintain or increase the extent of vegetative and pervious surfaces.

2.2.2 Development and site alteration shall be restricted in or near sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water features such that these features and their related hydrologic functions will be protected, improved or restored.

Planning criteria not met by decision makers

Pursuant to Section 51 subsection 24 of the Planning Act, decision makers must have regard to the following:

(a) the effect of development of the proposed raceway on matters of provincial interest as referred to in section 2;

(b) whether the proposed raceway is premature or in the public interest;

(c) whether the plan conforms to the official plan;(d) the suitability of the land for the purposes for which it is

to be used;(h) conservation of natural resources and flood control;(l) the physical layout of the plan having regard to energy

conservation.

Summary of Issues and Concerns: Leads to Environmental Degradation of the Community• Water quantity and quality issues• Air pollution and incomplete environmental assessments Does not conform to all necessary Provincial policy and

legislation• Non-conforming to Planning Act and March 2005

Provincial Policy Statement

Therefore, appears to represent bad planning.

A View of Ontario's Farmlands2011 Census of Agriculture

Ontario has the biggest agricultural output as measured by farm cash receipts, with 12.6 million acres in agricultural production, just 5.6% of Ontario’s land base.

Though Ontario has less than a quarter of the farmland of either Saskatchewan or Alberta, the combination of soil and climate mean yields on Ontario farmland are often double or more than that of the Prairies.

Farming in Ontario = $50 billion/year

Direct employment in the automotive sector in 2010 was 31,500, while food processing hit 127,000.

The Alliance of Ontario Food Processors also reported the farming created an additional 90,000 jobs.

In 2010, the auto sector had $43.6 billion in revenue in Ontario, while food processing, agriculture products and farming grossed nearly $50 billion.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/food-processing-beats-auto-industry-ontario-report-says-110736478.html

Farmlands in Ontario at risk

Number of farms in Ontario dropped 9.2% from 2006 to 2011

The area farmed in the province fell 4.8% from 2006 to 2011.

The reason for decline of Ontario farms:

“It’s subdivisions, it’s shopping malls, it’s roads,” said Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “We’re developing good farmland that in the long run will not be available to grow food, fibre and fuel for the world.”

Mark Wales, President ofOntario Federation of Agriculture states:

“Canada is expected to be one of only six countries in the world to be a net

exporter of food.”

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/06/04/19836431.html

Global water & food crisis due to declining aquifers

World's largest aquifer going

dry The Ogallala aquifer is the world's

largest underground water system, irrigating one-third of the US corn crops and providing drinking water to Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. It’s one of the fastest-disappearing aquifers in the world and the water is not coming back. ( Associated Press)

China's north that produces food for 400 million people is running out of water because they are depleting the underground aquifers.

Thomas Fingar, chairman and deputy director US National IntelligenceCouncil and

The failure of governments to limit pumping to the sustainable yield of aquifers means that water tables are now falling in countries that contain more than half the world's people, including the big three grain producers--China, India, and the United States.

Lester R. Brown,Earth Policy Institute, Washington D.C.

According to the Word Bank:

-drought-affected areas would increase from 15.4% of global cropland today, to around 44% by 2100. -the most severely affected regions in the next 30 to 90 years will likely be in southern Africa, the United States, southern Europe and Southeast Asia.

http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/climate-change-report-warns-dramatically-warmer-world-century

Agricultural lands WITH WATER are in high demand.

• Countries such as China, Korea and the United Arab Emirates are buying or leasing agricultural land to help meet their own food needs.

The International Food Policy Research Institute

• The World Bank estimates that demand for food will rise by 50 percent by 2030. The National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2025

• Global Economist project that agricultural lands will surpass the value of development lands in the near future due to rising oil production costs, population increases, higher standard of living, water shortages climate change and drought.

First photo: China, Second Photo: The US Third: Waterloo Ontario

2012 view of US Drought

US drought resulted in toxic feed

Cattle are being poisoned by cyanide-laced weeds in Arkansas. Across the Midwest water-soluble fertilizers are concentrating in soils and plants, making them harmful rather than productive. And in Missouri, samples suggest that more than half the corn crop isn't fit for human consumption, thanks to unusually high levels of nitrogen. There was not enough water for photosynthesis and high nitrate build up made the corn toxic.

http://current.com/10b70kc

Atrazine contaminated US water supplies. Drought and depleted aquifers reduced groundwater to dilute.

REGARDING ENGINEERING FIRMSThere is no money in discovering bad geology...or is there?

Engineering firms often conduct environmental assessment for approval processes. Once they signed off, the liability risks transfers to the firm who purchased their data. If issues arise due to poor environmental studies, they are not held liable but they do stand to profit from remediation jobs if things go wrong!

Topography isn't enough to delineate watersheds or prevent water risks.

(cross section of the Waterloo Moriane)

What goes in the ground will head to wells with draw down effects regardless of topography. Professor Mike Stone:

chloride loadings to Waterloo Regional wells reveals this fact.

Price the value the natural capital worth!

- Our undeveloped lands provides water and farmland used for municipal, industrial and agricultural use.

- We need to protect aquifer connectivity from source to wells to secure water supplies and the economic systems dependent on them stay viable for the long term!

Natural Wetlands can filter out nitrate and phosphate issues 80-90% www.creditvalleyca.ca/wp.../01/ValuingWetlandsPhase1-final.pdf

Protect our A1 Farmlands and source water areas for generations to come

Protect the function of AggregatesAggregates = Water Supplies

Mandate test times/methods& hold engineering firms accountable.

To protect communities and the economy, realistically assess the monetary risks of the raceway to the water and farmland industries and let us make

long term source water protection and food security the top priority!

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Raceway