The Ford government finds itself taking heat from another environmental group, this time over proposed changes to the permit process for water transfers.
Water Watchers is taking particular aim at the province’s proposal to allow permits for the likes of bottling water to be transferred rather than the current practice of having the new owners reapply.
That amounts to a “sleight of hand” move, says the organization’s executive director, Arelene Slocombe, noting the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks quietly announced the proposed changes right after the Canada Day holiday.
“There’s been no news about it anywhere. The only reason we know about it is that we have been doing a lot of research over the last few months, wondering what’s going on with this permit,” added Slocombe.
“Water permits should never be handed off like real estate deeds. Communities and ecosystems deserve a say every time water is taken from the ground, not just the first time. Particularly Indigenous communities from whose treaty lands this water is extracted while many still experience water insecurity.”
Water Watchers points out that the change comes just months after Ice River Springs acquired the water-bottling operations formerly held by Nestlé and then BlueTriton/Primo. With the addition of Aquaterra, the conglomerate now controls an estimated 85 per cent of all bottling permits and up to 99 per cent of the total volume of water taken for bottling in Ontario, says the group, an NGO whose members work as leaders on the frontline of water protection.
“We were very wary that something underhanded like this might be happening,” said Slocombe, adding that change would lead to a lack of public scrutiny regarding new water permits.
The current process ensures that companies undergo an environmental assessment of changing conditions, public consultation and transparency, a review of purpose, volume, and ecological risks, and Adherence to Indigenous rights and the duty to consult.
Slocombe told The Observer that allowing automatic permit transfers would circumvent many of these environmental safeguards.
“This proposal is reckless.”
The Ice River Springs example, noted Slocombe, is a case in point, illustrating corporate consolidation and the risk of monopolies.
“Permits must be tied not just to the site but to the specific operator. Ice River’s growing control over bottling sites across Ontario is a red flag for democratic oversight and water equity. A single company controlling this scale of water access demands greater scrutiny, not less.”
She added that making it easier to get permits puts groundwater supplies under threat, as over-allocation worsens the problem.
“Writing cheques on a bank account where you don’t know what the balance is and you just keep writing cheques is a foolish way to proceed, especially when there’s no benefit to anybody,” argued Slocombe.
“The only beneficiaries, of course, are the profit holders, stakeholders, but there’s no public good.”
Slocombe is urging residents to make their voices heard as the deadline for comments is August 1.
To learn more and if you are interested in tools to send messages to government officials, go to www.waterwatchers.ca/ice_river.
