For immediate release:
February 9, 2005

Dombrowsky double-talk underlines Spills Bill mess

Simcoe - Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett says the Minister of Environment’s comments indicating Bill 133- the Spills Bill would not apply to the “vast majority” of Ontario companies is just one more reason why the legislation should be scrapped altogether.

While Barrett has in the past pointed to the lack of additional environmental prevention and performance incentives included in the bill, and questioned the imposition of huge financial penalties under a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ approach, he says this latest Liberal backtrack takes the cake.

The Minister stated Tuesday that the ‘penalties would not apply to municipalities or the vast majority of businesses in this province.’

“When Minister Dombrowsky introduced this legislation she said, ‘Our message to polluters is simple: you spill, you pay’,” said Barrett. “Now we find out that if you’re not one of 140 companies covered under the Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA), you are not covered – at least for now.

To add to this confusion, the ministry website states that ‘Bill 133 would initially apply to companies subject to MISA regulations’. So what comes next?

“This is just one more crack in a piece of legislation already riddled with questionable approaches”, says Barrett. “The Minister who told us that, ‘This government will not tolerate companies and individuals who put our environment and the health of Ontarians at risk,’ is sending out mixed messaging.”

“The Minister should do the right thing - trash this legally questionable, unworkable and largely ineffective Bill’, says Barrett. “This liberal government clearly doesn’t have a real plan for protecting the environment in Ontario.”

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 416-325-8404 or 1-800-903-8629