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TORONTO — Premier Kathleen Wynne says she wants public consultation as the Liberal government overhauls the province’s water-taking permit program.
Ontario’s opposition parties have been calling on the government to include public input, and Wynne said today there is “absolutely a place” for that as part of the review.
She says there are some “immediate issues” the government needs to deal with in the short-term as some permits have already been extended.
Residents in Guelph are fighting an application by Nestle to renew its permit — that expired on July 31 — to take up to 3.6 million litres a day from its well in nearby Aberfoyle.
Wynne has said some of the conditions for water-taking permits, particularly for bottled water companies, are outdated.
Currently Ontario charges companies just $3.71 for every million litres of water after they pay a permit fee of $750 for low- or medium-risk water takings, or $3,000 for those considered a high risk to cause an adverse environmental impact.
