The proponent’s environmental risks and non-compliance

On November 13, 2017 the proponent sent us this letter, which they copied to:

• The Mayor, Chief Administrative Officer, and all Councillors of the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
• The Chair, and the Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works of the District Municipality of Muskoka.
• The person at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) that investigates environmental concerns at contruction sites.
• The people at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) that are responsible for that Ministry’s decisions concerning this proposed project.

In this letter they:

• Repeat their invitation that we join their non-existent Construction Committee.
   
• Claim their project is not providing any economic benefits to Bala because of: “actions to intimidate and bully local business owners if they choose to work with us”.
   
• Note our web site: “currently contains an article with a headline that suggests our project may be putting toxic contaminants into the Moon River” and they: “request that you correct the article speculating about emissions on your website”.
   
• Claim their actions: “are in full compliance with the multitude of environmental regulations”.

In response, we sent this letter to the same recipients, plus the Minister of the MOECC, Minister of the MNRF, MPP Norm Miller, and the MOECC’s Director.

Our letter notes that:

• No correction is required to the information on SaveTheBalaFalls.com, as the proponent had brought contaminated shipping containers to Bala and intended to flush water pumped from their proposed construction site through these contaminated shipping containers and into the Moon River.
   
• The proponent is not complying with their Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA, which specifies the conditions for their pumping of water from their proposed construction site), as they do not have the specified equipment installed, and their water treatment system is dumping untreated water into the Precambrian Shield parking lot.
   
• The proponent’s 2013 Environmental Site Assessment was deficient as it did not investigate in the locations needed to determine if electrical equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was left buried when the Bala #2 Generating Station was demolished in 1972 within their proposed construction site. We ask what evidence the proponent has that there are no PCBs within their proposed construction site.
   
• The 200′-long pipe the proponent has suspended above the Bala south channel was not tested for leaks, and asks if this design was approved by a Professional Engineer. We also ask if the electrical cable which is installed along this pipe has been approved by the Electrical Safety Authority.
   
• The proponent’s work is infringing on the District Municipality of Muskoka’s property rights in several ways, we ask why the proponent has not requested permission for these encroachments.

We look forward to the proponent’s response.