Bill 17 leaves no room for evolving science

OPINION
by Brian Sterling

It would be easy to think that the recent passing of Bill 17 concerns only the hog industry - afterall, it is a permanent ban on the building or expansion of hog facilities. Nothing here of concern to the cattle industry—or is there?

In fact, the cattle industry should be very concerned. The unfettered enthusiasm shown by our government to embrace, and then to enforce environmental rules and regulations with little regard for science is highlighted in Bill 17. The not-so-subliminal message here is that our government will not hesitate to legislate a permanent ban whenever faced with an environmental challenge. Shoot first and ask questions later. As a cattle producer I am wondering who will be in the crosshairs tomorrow? In the meantime, we are in limbo - afraid to move and hesitant to expand. What, or who, will be next?

The cattle industry in this province has always been aware of the role we are play in the battle against environmental pollution. As the science evolves it is becoming quite evident that the cattle industry—particularly the cow-calf sector—will play an ever increasingly more significant role in the fight to preserve our natural landscape and watersheds; to slow down the conversion of marginal and wildlife habitat lands to grain production; and to reverse the damage caused by years of neglect of our water ways. Our cattle industry has the ability because of our land base, to secure an environment that has the capability of sequestering many more tonnes of carbon than the greenhouse gases we produce.

The point to be made here is this:
Environmental rules and regulations must be based on good science. And because that science is continually changing, a permanent ban on anything is short-sighted, self-serving and will have a cooling affect on all industries - not just hog production. Who wants to invest in a place where the rules change not because of what you are doing, but on what someone else “thinks” you are doing?

The idea of a permanent ban plays to urban regulators who are eager to assign blame to someone—to anyone, for environmental problems that are to a large extent of their own making. Note that city and town lagoons are routinely drained into our water ways every day.

A permanent ban on anything leaves no room to accept continuously changing science and technologies that will make it possible for an industry to comply with environmental standards in the future, and then be able to expand in a sustainable manner. Governments need to forge partnerships with livestock producers to ensure province-wide acceptance and commitment to the principles and practises to make sustainable development a reality.

Wielding a big stick and dictating permanent bans with no regard for the changing science and technologies will not make any of this achievable.

Why is this so difficult for policy makers to understand?

- Chairman of the MCPA Environment Committee. Read more!

Regional hog industry moratoriums to be permanent with formal passage of Bill 17

Manitoba Government Press Release

Three regional moratoriums on hog industry expansion will soon be made permanent to protect water and the environment after the formal passage of Bill 17, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced in late September.

The bill received third and final reading today, the last step before receiving royal assent.

“This bill ensures the old practice of unsustainable industry growth in hog alley has been permanently halted,” the minister said. “This bill is consistent with the Clean Environment Commission’s direction to strengthen our plan to ensure we protect our land and water.”

The three regions affected by the moratoriums include:
• Southeastern Manitoba: This region is classified as an intensively developed area, meaning it does not have sufficient land base to allow for further sustainable spreading of livestock manure.

• The Red River Valley Special Management Area: This high-risk area, which includes the Capital Region of the province, was identified by the Phosphorus Expert Committee as a vulnerable region because it is a flood-prone area.

• The Interlake: This region borders on Lake Winnipeg to the east and Lake Manitoba to the west. In addition, wetlands and other marginal and ecologically sensitive land make the region unsuitable for further hog industry expansion.

Industry expansion in these regions has been halted since November 2006 when the minister announced a provincewide industry pause. The ban was lifted in all but three regions of the province following the release of the Clean Environment Commission’s report on the environmental sustainability of the hog industry in March.

Struthers noted, during that time, expansion was allowed for producers who introduced new technologies such as anaerobic digesters and a combination of separators and other systems that enhance environmental protection. He said Bill 17 allows that practice to continue.

“Our position from day one has been the industry can grow, but not at the expense of the environment,” the minister said. “By promoting a sustainable hog industry, we are restoring the public’s confidence that producers can conduct business and still protect our water.” Read more!