Table Of ContentJuly 2007
CClleeaann WWaatteerr AAcctt
SSoouurrccee PPrrootteeccttiioonn CCoommmmiitttteeee CChhaaiirr
QQuueessttiioonnss aanndd AAnnsswweerrss
11)) WWhhaatt iiss tthhee ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn There are a number of mechanisms that the
aauutthhoorriittyy ((SSPPAA)) rroollee?? source protection authority co uld use to seek out
potential committee chair candidates, including;
The source protection authority (S PA ), which in
advertising and/or inviting interested parties
most cases is the conservation authority board, is
through advertisements in local newspapers,
responsible for establishing the source protection
placing advertisements/flyers in libraries,
committee (SPC) and ensuring that the source
municipal of fices, co mmunity ce ntres,
protection process gets up and running in each
universities, et c, specifying mi nimum
source protection area. It will provide
qualifications as well as the application process.
administrative, scientific and technical support
In addition, the authority could also approach key
and resources to the SPC during the development
watershed stakeholders directly and ask them to
of the terms of reference, assessment report and
submit a potential candidate.
source protection plan documents. It will also
review and comment upon these documents The source protection authority wi ll forward th e
before it submits them to the ministry for names of the top three candidates for the
approval. Following the approval of the source committee chair, along with the candidates’
protection plan, the SPA is responsible for submission packages, to the Ministry fo r
implementing th ose policies in th e source consideration by the Minister. The source
protection plan assigned to them in the terms of protection authority is encouraged to also forward
reference and preparing annual reports. A s well, a recommendation package and rationale for the
the SPA may be required by the Minister (or the recommendation.
Director in th e case of th e assessment report) to
amend the terms of reference, assessment report 33)) MMuusstt aauutthhoorriittiieess ffoollllooww aa ppuubblliicc pprroocceessss
or source protection plan as directed. Fi nally, the ffoorr nnoommiinnaattiinngg ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn
SPA may also propose amendments to the plan in ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirrss??
prescribed circumstances.
The Minister of th e Environment is responsible
for appointing the chair of the source protection
22)) WWiillll ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn aauutthhoorriittiieess aacccceepptt
committee through a Minister ’s Letter of
lleetttteerrss ooff aapppplliiccaattiioonn ffoorr tthhee ppoossiittiioonn ooff
Appointment. A lthough the final decision is up to
ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirr??
the discretion of th e Minister, the Clean Wa ter
Act does co ntain a provision which al lows fo r th e
source protection authority to put forward The source protection authority may initially look
recommendations for chair to th e Minister for for a qualified candidate within the source
consideration. The source protection authorities protection region or area but should it not find
have been asked to consider a public call for one, can also look at suitable candidates from
expressions of in terest when selecting a list of other watersheds.
potential committee chairs that will be forwarded
Finally, the source pr otection authority wi ll
to the Minister for consideration. This process,
forward the names of the top three candidates for
however, has been left to th e discretion of th e SPA
the committee chair, along with the applicants’
in order to allow for local flexibility.
submission packages, to the Minister. T he source
While the A ct states that where a source protection authority is encouraged to also forward
protection region has been created, the lead a recommended candidate and rationale for the
source protection authority may make recommendation.
recommendations in respect of the chair , the
Ministry encourages the lead source protection 44)) IIss tt hheerree aann aappppeeaall mmeecchhaanniissmm oonn cchhaaii rr
authority to collaborate with the other source aappppooiinnttmmeenntt ttoo tt hhee MMiinniisstteerr ooff tthh ee
protection authorities in th e region during this EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt??
process. In fa ct, should the source pr otection
There is no appeal mechanism on chair
authorities want to formalize the collaborative
appointment by the Minister.
process that will be used to make
recommendations regarding a committee chair, it
55)) HH ooww wwii llll tthhee MM iinniissttrryy eennssuurree tthhaatt tthhee
could be specified in the agreement between the
ssoouurrccee pprrootteeccttiioonn ccoommmmiitttteeee cchhaaiirr ddooeess nnoott
lead authority and the other authorities. It is
hhaavvee aannyy ccoonnfflliiccttss ooff iinntteerreesstt iinn ppeerrffoorrmmiinngg
recognized that agreements currently exist
tthhee rreeqquuiirreemmeennttss ooff tthhee pp oossiittiioonn ??
between conservation authorities carrying out
studies in support of the Clean Wa ter A ct and Th e nominees for the position of source protection
that these existing agreements may suffice to committee chair must complete a Personal and
allow the collaborative process to proceed. Wh ere Conflict of Interest Di sclosure St atement.
new participating municipalities are brought into Ad ditionally, the nominees wi ll be required to sign
a source protection area due to boundary changes, a release al lowing for th e co mpletion of a po lice
the new authority board, in cluding members records and criminal records check. This will
selected by the new participating municipalities comprise part of the applicants’ submission
would be required to oversee this process either package that wi ll be forwarded by the source
as lead or partner. protection authority to the Mi nister of En vironment.
Background information on the Clean Wa ter A ct is available on the Ministry of the Environment
website at: ontario.ca/cleanwater
Further lo cal in formation on drinking water source pr otection can be found at:
conservation ontario.on.ca/source_protection/otherswpregionsindex.htm
This publication is pro vided for information purposes only .
For co mpliance purposes reference should always be ma de to the A ct or related regulations.
PIBS 6253e01 © 2007, Queen’s Printer for Ontario 0 6/07.
