Notice of approval

Proponent: The Corporation of the County of Simcoe
Environmental assessment file number: MU-0900-02

Take notice that the period for requiring a hearing, provided for in the Notice of Completion of the Review for the above noted undertaking, expired on June 23, 2000. I received approximately fifteen thousand (15,000) submissions before the expiration date. Approximately, one-thousand, two-hundred and sixty-seven (1,267) submissions required a hearing by the Environmental Assessment Board.

An order has been made pursuant to subsection 12.4(3) of the Environmental Assessment Act that the provisions of section 9 (other than paragraph 9(2)2 and other than the reference to subsection 6.4(2) in paragraph 9(2)5 apply with respect to the Environmental Assessment, I do not consider it advisable or necessary to hold a hearing.

Having considered the purpose of the Act, the Environmental Assessment, the Review and submissions received, I hereby refuse to give approval to proceed with the undertaking for the reasons set out below.

  1. On the basis of the proponent’s Environmental Assessment and the Review, the proponent’s conclusion that, on balance, the advantages of this undertaking outweigh its disadvantages do not appear to have been established.
  2. Issues raised in the submissions regarding flaws in the environmental assessment planning process and the need for additional hydrogeological information are best addressed by a focused Terms of Reference and a new Environmental Assessment.
  3. On the basis of the proponent’s Environmental Assessment, and the Review it has not been established that the undertaking will be consistent with the purpose of the Act (section 2).
  4. The Government Review Team has identified technical concerns regarding the hydrogeological suitability of the preferred site. The public review of the Environmental Assessment identified outstanding concerns which can not best be addressed through conditions of approval or conditions of a Provisional Certificate of Approval.

Dated the 15th day of January, 2001 at Toronto

Original signed by:
Minister of Environment
135 St. Clair Avenue West, 12th floor
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1P5