Environmental compliance policy review by the Province is the subject of a recommendation by Norfolk County’s Agriculture Advisory Board (AAB).
The committee of Norfolk County Council, which was established to advise on agricultural matters, wants the the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to reconsider its criteria which currently forces farmers to undertake a costly and time-consuming approval process if proposed septic systems exceed 10,000 litres per day.
The AAB contends that obtaining approval from the Provincial Ministry can take up to two years and cost in excess of $30,000. Policy review is important because current criteria does not take into account parcel size, distance to adjacent parcels, or land use.
“One acre is treated the same as 300 acres,” the AAB explains in its resolution to Council.
For more information, check out the March 22, 2018, minutes of the AAB meeting.