On January 3, 2019 the Township of Muskoka Lakes received a notification from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) that the proponent had submitted an Application for a Permit to Take Water (PTTW). The proponent requires this permit to draw the water needed to operate their proposed hydro-electric generating station at the Bala falls. The MECP’s notice stated that the MECP would accept comments for 30 days, which would be to February 1, 2019.
Normally the MECP’s assessment for such Applications only considers factors such as whether the water would be used as efficiently as possible, and whether the water would be removed from the watershed (for example, shipping bottled water elsewhere).
But the MECP’s obligation is to consider adverse environmental impacts, and protecting the environment includes protecting human life. As the proposed project would create risks to human life, we and others delegated to the January 17, 2019 meeting of the Township of Muskoka Lakes’ Committee of the Whole, the SaveTheBalaFalls.com presentation is here.
Our main points were:
- Hydro-electric generating stations much smaller than the proposed Bala project have caused drownings.
- These drownings have been both upstream and downstream of hydro-electric generating stations.
- The grieving parents wanted to know such avoidable fatalities would never happen again, so it is up to us to do what we can.
- Township public docks are both upstream and downstream of the proposed project, also nearby is Diver’s Point and Purk’s Place.
- While the requirements for Public Safety Plans are well-documented, there is no obligation these be workable.
We therefore requested that the Township of Muskoka Lakes provide comment to the MECP that asks that the proposed project not be permitted to operate until there is an adequate Public Safety Plan which has been approved by an unbiased organization with the required expertise.
At their meeting on January 18, 2019, the Council of the Township of Muskoka Lakes unanimously passed a Resolution which re-stated that they continue to be an unwilling host for this proposed project, and also included:
“Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Council of the Township of Muskoka Lakes requests that:
- Permission to take water, due to negative impacts, be denied.
- And / or, at minimum, that a condition be required to not allow water to be drawn during the in-water recreational permit (May 15 – Nov 1).”
We are very happy to see the Township of Muskoka Lakes taking a step to do what they can to protect the public.
MuskokaRegion.com has published this article.