Table Of Content

July 2007 CClleeaann WWaatteerr AAcctt SSoouurrccee PPrrootteeccttiioonn CCoommmmiitttteeee CChhaaiirr QQuueessttiioonnss aanndd AAnnsswweerrss 11)) WWhhaatt iiss tthhee ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn There are a number of mechanisms that the aauutthhoorriittyy ((SSPPAA)) rroollee?? source protection authority co uld use to seek out potential committee chair candidates, including; The source protection authority (S PA ), which in advertising and/or inviting interested parties most cases is the conservation authority board, is through advertisements in local newspapers, responsible for establishing the source protection placing advertisements/flyers in libraries, committee (SPC) and ensuring that the source municipal of fices, co mmunity ce ntres, protection process gets up and running in each universities, et c, specifying mi nimum source protection area. It will provide qualifications as well as the application process. administrative, scientific and technical support In addition, the authority could also approach key and resources to the SPC during the development watershed stakeholders directly and ask them to of the terms of reference, assessment report and submit a potential candidate. source protection plan documents. It will also review and comment upon these documents The source protection authority wi ll forward th e before it submits them to the ministry for names of the top three candidates for the approval. Following the approval of the source committee chair, along with the candidates’ protection plan, the SPA is responsible for submission packages, to the Ministry fo r implementing th ose policies in th e source consideration by the Minister. The source protection plan assigned to them in the terms of protection authority is encouraged to also forward reference and preparing annual reports. A s well, a recommendation package and rationale for the the SPA may be required by the Minister (or the recommendation. Director in th e case of th e assessment report) to amend the terms of reference, assessment report 33)) MMuusstt aauutthhoorriittiieess ffoollllooww aa ppuubblliicc pprroocceessss or source protection plan as directed. Fi nally, the ffoorr nnoommiinnaattiinngg ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn SPA may also propose amendments to the plan in ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirrss?? prescribed circumstances. The Minister of th e Environment is responsible for appointing the chair of the source protection 22)) WWiillll ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn aauutthhoorriittiieess aacccceepptt committee through a Minister ’s Letter of lleetttteerrss ooff aapppplliiccaattiioonn ffoorr tthhee ppoossiittiioonn ooff Appointment. A lthough the final decision is up to ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirr?? the discretion of th e Minister, the Clean Wa ter Act does co ntain a provision which al lows fo r th e source protection authority to put forward The source protection authority may initially look recommendations for chair to th e Minister for for a qualified candidate within the source consideration. The source protection authorities protection region or area but should it not find have been asked to consider a public call for one, can also look at suitable candidates from expressions of in terest when selecting a list of other watersheds. potential committee chairs that will be forwarded Finally, the source pr otection authority wi ll to the Minister for consideration. This process, forward the names of the top three candidates for however, has been left to th e discretion of th e SPA the committee chair, along with the applicants’ in order to allow for local flexibility. submission packages, to the Minister. T he source While the A ct states that where a source protection authority is encouraged to also forward protection region has been created, the lead a recommended candidate and rationale for the source protection authority may make recommendation. recommendations in respect of the chair , the Ministry encourages the lead source protection 44)) IIss tt hheerree aann aappppeeaall mmeecchhaanniissmm oonn cchhaaii rr authority to collaborate with the other source aappppooiinnttmmeenntt ttoo tt hhee MMiinniisstteerr ooff tthh ee protection authorities in th e region during this EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt?? process. In fa ct, should the source pr otection There is no appeal mechanism on chair authorities want to formalize the collaborative appointment by the Minister. process that will be used to make recommendations regarding a committee chair, it 55)) HH ooww wwii llll tthhee MM iinniissttrryy eennssuurree tthhaatt tthhee could be specified in the agreement between the ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirr ddooeess nnoott lead authority and the other authorities. It is hhaavvee aannyy ccoonnfflliiccttss ooff iinntteerreesstt iinn ppeerrffoorrmmiinngg recognized that agreements currently exist tthhee rreeqquuiirreemmeennttss ooff tthhee pp oossiittiioonn ?? between conservation authorities carrying out studies in support of the Clean Wa ter A ct and Th e nominees for the position of source protection that these existing agreements may suffice to committee chair must complete a Personal and allow the collaborative process to proceed. Wh ere Conflict of Interest Di sclosure St atement. new participating municipalities are brought into Ad ditionally, the nominees wi ll be required to sign a source protection area due to boundary changes, a release al lowing for th e co mpletion of a po lice the new authority board, in cluding members records and criminal records check. This will selected by the new participating municipalities comprise part of the applicants’ submission would be required to oversee this process either package that wi ll be forwarded by the source as lead or partner. protection authority to the Mi nister of En vironment. Background information on the Clean Wa ter A ct is available on the Ministry of the Environment website at: ontario.ca/cleanwater Further lo cal in formation on drinking water source pr otection can be found at: conservation ontario.on.ca/source_protection/otherswpregionsindex.htm This publication is pro vided for information purposes only . For co mpliance purposes reference should always be ma de to the A ct or related regulations. PIBS 6253e01 © 2007, Queen’s Printer for Ontario 0 6/07.