Runaway Train's fuel gauge reading "empty"

By Charlene Lowes

When we last reported on Tiny's Class Environmental Assessment (EA) in Tiny, the "runaway Train" was sitting on the siding with its fuel gauge reading "empty". The train is still sitting on that siding and there is no fuel car in sight.

When and why did this process start and how did it get so far off the track? The Class EA for Water Servicing and Sewage Servicing was launched in the spring of 1995 to address a health-related concern in the Balm Beach/Ossossane area - Concessions 8, 9 and 10.


As the Federation delved into the process, alarm bells started going off and concerns were raised.

Inadequate and incomplete testing was our greatest concern. In response to the original application for funding, the Government of Ontario requested that a second testing of wells in the area be completed to substantiate the findings of the first testing. Ainley chose to test only the 89 worst wells from the 219 first tested. The second test results indicated that 31 wells or 14% of the 219 wells first sampled were substandard. (Actually the figures indicate a phenomenal improvement in water quality.) Although the Government of Ontario granted the funding for Tiny's Class EA study, it has now been proven that the testing is insufficient to apply for future funding.

Developments since June At that time, Council had voted (5-0) to close off the Water Servicing Class EA and voted (4-1) to leave open the Sewage Servicing Class EA. Mayor Anthony Lancia voted in favour of closing both the EAs saying any delay would cost the taxpayers more money; he believed enough information was available to make a decision. Moreover, Mayor Lancia said that his vote reflected the wishes of 65% of the residents in Concessions 8, 9 and 10 who answered the questionnaire and said "Do Nothing". Deputy Mayor Taylor wanted the EA left open and he was confident that the MoEE could be persuaded to extend the funding; the MoEE denied Tiny's request for an extension. The provincial funding ends on December 31, 1997.

On June 2, 1997, two months after Council requested the Phase II Report to close off the Water Servicing Class EA, and after Council had received it, Council voted 4-1 (Lancia opposed) to re-open the Water Servicing Class EA.

A Committee Tries to Shift Blame The EA Committee, Taylor, Kronschnabl and Klym, (1) have accused the Federation of "interference" in the EA process and (2) have also complained about the alleged "high costs" incurred by the Township because the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations asked so many questions. They talk about a $10,000 figure. A key principle for a Class EA, as set out by the Municipal Engineers Association, is "early consultation allows for improved understanding and focuses the planning on matters of concern." This is a public process to which the Federation, on your behalf, has contributed. That is how the process is designed to work. "It is better to spend your money investigating before you dig rather than after."

Pat O'Driscoll requested a cost breakdown for the work done by Ainley to respond to the Federation's concerns, in her August 11th deputation to Council. She said: "It is obvious that no costs resulted from questions being asked by the Federation. The EA process would only incur costs IF Ainley answered the questions". To date, The Federation has received two responses to its many questions: a one page letter, dated June 6, 1996 and a one paragraph fax, dated July 11, 1996. Did these two responses cost the Tiny taxpayers $10,000, as Ainley and the EA Committee suggested? If they did, there should be a large scale investigation.

Ainley says it charged the Tiny Taxpayers $8,074 for their frolic to the Privacy Commissioner to determine whether Ainley could make public the Federation's response to the Class EA. That was a self inflicted cost and unnecessary cost. Ainley and the EA Committee would not provide a cost breakdown to the Federation for Ainley's one page letter and one paragraph fax response to the Federation.

Today, the Federation has the same concerns it has had since the beginning. The most pressing one is the lack of comprehensive testing. Without a clear definition of the problem (which can only be established by comprehensive testing) how can a solution be determined? That testing has never been done and the taxpayers of Tiny Township have lost the opportunity to use provincial funding to learn the truth about water quality in Conc. 8, 9 and 10. This happened because the members of this EA committee - Taylor, Kronschnabl and Klym - chose not to do the necessary testing.

At the September 18, 1997 EA Committee meeting, the members (Taylor, Kronschnabl and Klym) have again decided to close off the Water portion of the EA. The Report is being prepared to reflect several alternate solutions to the "problem": the property owners should upgrade their own wells, do regular testing, hire qualified personnel to investigate and implement recommendations to correct water supply concerns; the Township will make educational pamphlets available. The Township will investigate the possibility of providing financial assistance for seeking remedial action for potable water supplies. The Sewage EA is still open.

Two and half years after its hopeful start and following a roller coaster ride through Tiny Township, that "Runaway Train" sits on the siding feeling alone and rejected.