Manitoba water bill needs pre-revisions - WP editorial

Who can oppose the grand principles of sustaining ecological processes, life support systems and food production?

These goals are among the lofty intentions stated in the preamble to Manitoba’s proposed water protection act.

Yet farmers have reason for caution.

The proposed law wraps another layer of regulation around farm operations while offering no compensation.

It may give new powers to environmental activists to threaten farmers and it fails to guarantee that farmers will have the means to carry on for the long term.

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Bill 22 is Manitoba’s attempt to protect surface and ground water. With a large portion of the continent’s rivers draining through Manitoba to Hudson Bay, water dominates daily life in Manitoba as it does in few other places. It is commendable that Manitoba’s people and government understand the serious responsibility.

But as Manitoba Pork officials pointed out during legislative hearings on the bill, livestock producers in the province already must navigate through 26 federal and provincial statutes, as well as numerous municipal bylaws.

They can’t afford another layer of regulatory red tape. Bill 22 will likely inhibit development and expansion and force additional costs onto livestock producers.

The proposed act also specifically mentions nitrogen and phosphorus as potential polluters, which suggests the bill targets livestock operations.

As well, the act focuses on penalties instead of fair compensation. Farmers are asked to pick up the tab for protection of a public resource and threatened with jail terms and financial penalties should they fail. Rewarding farmers for sound management strategies that benefit society would be a better course.

The bill also needs an amendment that would protect farmers from harassment by activists. Those opposed to animal agriculture or intensive livestock production have not hesitated in the past to try to stop certain farm practices.

A description of what constitutes normal farming practices must be included and deemed exempt from challenges under the water act.

The bill also fails to guarantee producers the water they need to keep businesses afloat should water rationing become necessary. In times of water shortages, those whose livelihoods depend on water must be looked after first.

Farmers across Canada should watch the Manitoba situation closely. What happens in this important drainage basin could some day become the benchmark for other jurisdictions.

Now is the time to ensure farmers are not drowned in a tide of wrong-headed environmental thinking.

As those who live upon and earn their living from the land every day, farmers can be at the forefront of water protection. To be there, farmers must be offered the protection they need to survive and the tools they require to help protect the environment for society.