Ontario’s opposition parties want the public to have a say as the Liberal government overhauls the province’s water-taking permit program this fall. The New Democrats said a public review of water takings must be part of a new provincial strategy to treat water as a public trust that puts drinking water, sanitation and agricultural uses ahead of commercial users. Simply charging bottling companies like Nestle more — it currently pays just $3.71 for every one million litres taken — won’t protect the water, she said. Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner said public input will help ensure community drinking water and farming needs come ahead of water-bottling and aggregate mining operations. “We need increased transparency and accountability in the permit to take water process,” Schreiner wrote in an open letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Source: National Post October 02, 2016 15:00 UTC