Region of York puts Holland Marsh pollution reduction project on hold
The Holland Marsh pollution reduction project could reduce phosphorous from farming operations by 85%.
By Jack Gibbons, Chair of Lake Simcoe Watch
Despite support from the federal government, the Region of York has put its $40 million project to reduce phosphorous pollution from the Holland Marsh on hold unless the Province of Ontario gives its permission to proceed with its proposed $715 million Upper York Sewage Solutions (UYSS) project. The Region has been seeking permission from the Government of Ontario since 2014 for its UYSS project which would allow Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury to dump sewage into Lake Simcoe.
In June the provincial government announced that it will create an expert panel to review the proposed UYSS project.
It appears the Region is holding the vital Holland Marsh pollution reduction project hostage as it tries to get its “big pipe” sewage project approved by the province. The two projects are at loggerheads, with one reducing phosphorous pollution reaching Lake Simcoe and the other increasing it.
It also means the region is essentially snubbing funding provided by the federal government for pollution reduction. In November 2020, the federal Minister of Infrastructure, Catherine McKenna, announced that the Government of Canada will invest $16 million in the Holland Marsh pollution reduction facility.
In 2009 the Government of Ontario released its Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (LSPP) which calls for Lake Simcoe’s phosphorous pollution to be reduced by 55% to 44 tonnes per year to reduce weeds and algae blooms and to protect our cold-water fishery (e.g., lake trout and whitefish).
Despite the fact that the LSPP was released 12 years ago, the province and our local governments have not developed a plan a budget to reduce Lake Simcoe’s phosphorous pollution to 44 tonnes per year. And, sadly, in the absence of any plan, Lake Simcoe’s phosphorous pollution has risen since 2009.
We are going in the wrong direction. We need this Holland Marsh pollution reduction project to proceed.
What you can do
In September Councillor Jonathan Scott of Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Councillor Dave Neeson of Georgina will be asking their municipalities to request that the Region proceed with the Holland Marsh pollution reduction project. They will also be asking the Government of Ontario to provide financial support for this project.
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