Toronto - The Ontario government's proposal for clear, enforceable province-wide legislation regulating agricultural operations was released Mon., July 10 by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman. The government will consult on this proposal over the summer to develop the most comprehensive bill of its kind in the country for introduction this fall.
"The time has come to take the best practices that many farmers are already using and turn them into strict standards for all agricultural operations in Ontario," Hardeman said. "Farmers want across-the-board environmental safeguards to sustain agricultural productivity and rural Ontario's quality of life."
The proposed legislation would include:
* Defining categories for types of farms including livestock operations
* Developing standards according to the size of farms for agricultural practices including manure handling, storage and application
* Providing strict enforcement authority
* Setting out penalties and fines for infractions
The Minister also released a summary report of consultations held earlier this year on intensive agricultural operations in rural Ontario. These consultations were held by Dr. Douglas Galt, Parliamentary Assistant to Mr. Hardeman and Mr. Toby Barrett, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment.
"I want to thank my colleagues for their hard work in conducting the earlier consultations," Hardeman said. "Their excellent summary forms the basis of the legislative proposal I've released today.
The Intensive Agricultural Operations in Rural Ontario consultation report and the current proposal are available on the Ministry website
BACKGROUNDER
July, 2000
Task Force on Intensive Agricultural Operations in Rural Ontario Consultation
* Consultations were a response to ongoing concerns about the effects of intensive agricultural operations on rural Ontario. They were also conducted to obtain public input regarding the government's role relative to changing agricultural practices.
* They were led by Dr. Doug Galt, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Mr. Toby Barrett, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment.
* The objective was to develop options that meet both the productivity and environmental needs of the agriculture sector and rural residents.
* Consultations were held in January and February, 2000 in several locations across southwestern, southern and Eastern Ontario, as well as at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association/Ontario Good Roads Association annual conference in Toronto.
* The task force heard from more than 700 people and listened to 140 presentations. It also received 200 written submissions and 420 completed questionnaires.
* Participants included farmers, farm organizations, concerned citizen and environmental groups, individuals, municipalities, planners, medical officers of health and other provincial stakeholder groups.
* An extensive review of how other jurisdictions handle intensive agricultural operations was also conducted, including other provinces, several states in the U.S. and some countries in Europe.
* The report is being mailed to participants who left a name and address and is available on the ministry’s website at www.gov.on.ca/omafra
From the Archives:
AgriNotes, July 2000
