Comment from a member of the public regarding the Erin WTPP Designation Request Reference No: 81434

Dear Minister Wilkinson ,

I am writing to express my concern for the process with regard to the environmental assessment support for the Erin Wastewater Treatment Plant process. A review of the process by environmental experts in the community call into question the thoroughness of the report.
I am voicing my support of the Coalition for the West Credit River in its request for the Erin Wastewater Treatment Plant to be designated as a Project under subsection 9(a) of the Impact Assessment Act.
The West Credit River flows into Halton Hills downstream from Erin and is the core element of the Georgetown's Hungry Hollow natural asset. This area and its species and species at risk are extremely important to the quality of life our residents prize. We expect that a wastewater treatment plant upstream from us would be rigorously studied and designed to protect the West Credit River both immediately downstream from the plant and further downstream in Georgetown.

The West Credit River has some of the most productive Brook Trout spawning reaches and the longest contiguous habitat in the Credit River watershed. Brook trout are a sentinel species signaling cool pristine waters and natural wild spaces. Brook Trout are a highly sensitive coldwater species and their survival relies on stream temperatures no greater than 19 °C to 20 °C for any sustained period of time.

I am opposed to this Project because Erin Council’s sewage plant will place Brook Trout and Redside Dace in the West Credit River in peril by destroying their coldwater habitat.

• Brook trout will not survive for long with over 7 million liters of sewage effluent dumped daily into their West Credit River coldwater habitat.
• Brook Trout and Redside Dace are highly sensitive species that will be subject to warmer stream temperatures, chronic exposures to elevated chloride, and possibly unionized ammonia and pharmaceuticals.
• Cumulative effects in the Environmental Study Report did not address any past, present and planned projects in the subwatershed on the environment, but instead only emphasized the benefits of the Project in replacing leaking septic systems in the community.

I urge you to approve the Coalition’s Designation Request and ensure a full federal review under the Impact Assessment Act. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Jane Fogal, Councillor, Town of Halton Hills
<Email address removed> <Personal information removed>, Georgetown, ON L7G 4S4