CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A holding pond under construction in Shamrock drew questions from Green MLA Lynne Lund during question period in the P.E.I. legislature on Tuesday.
Lund said she has heard concerns from Islanders about the holding pond, which she said was a seven-million-gallon agricultural holding pond.
"Apparently two pumps will be required to run around the clock for months, with more wells expected to be added, thereby having the same effect as a high capacity well," Lund said.
Lund asked the Environment Minister Natalie Jameson for an update on the holding pond.
"Irrigation ponds and associated low capacity wells are not currently regulated. However, my department remains aware of their use on the Island," Jameson said.
"I certainly recognize that water is a shared resource. My staff have made contact with the well driller who is working on this new pond. We provide direction to ensure that there is no impact on neighbouring wells or on stream levels."
There is currently a moratorium in place on high capacity wells used for agriculture. These are defined as wells that withdraw 350 cubic metres of water per day.
However, low capacity wells, those that withdraw between 25 and 350 cubic metres of water per day, are not currently regulated.
Proposed regulations to the province’s Water Act, governing low capacity wells, are due to be introduced in the legislature after public consultations have finished. These regulations would require a permit for low capacity wells, such as the one in Shamrock.
Lund suggested the holding pond in Shamrock was being constructed in a way that would circumvent the existing moratorium on high capacity wells.
“The P.E.I. Water Act will prohibit these ponds moving forward,” Lund said.
“Why are you allowing the construction of these holding ponds when it so clearly violates the proposed Water Act regulations?”
Lund also called on Jameson to establish an interim moratorium on “high capacity holding ponds".
Jameson responded that the proposed Water Act regulations will be revised based on feedback from consultations or from the standing committee on natural resources and environmental sustainability.
In an interview with media later, Jameson confirmed that staff members at the Department of Environment, Water and Climate Change are satisfied the holding pond is not a high capacity well.
The pond is owned by Austin Roberts and Andrew Lawless, who are business partners in an agricultural enterprise.
"My staff were made aware of it yesterday, and we'll be going out today to do an assessment and certainly assess the impact on the watershed and the surrounding areas," Jameson said.
During a standing committee meeting in January, staff with Jameson’s department downplayed the role that high capacity wells would have on the Island, stating agricultural irrigation accounted for only two per cent of P.E.I.’s groundwater use.
Asked if there was a possibility that the moratorium on high capacity wells will be lifted, Jameson did not say no.
"The next step in this is to actually have the Federation of Agriculture present (to the committee)," she said.
"So, until that presentation is done, I don't think that we can be conclusive in terms of any next steps," Jameson said.
In an interview, Lund said the reports on the issue from the Department of Environment have left her with unanswered questions as to what the impact of lifting the moratorium would be.
“I don't think we have the conclusive evidence at this point that would give us the confidence that it would be a good idea," Lund said.
The 2019 PC platform pledged to maintain the moratorium but also to obtain independent studies to inform a permanent policy on the matter.
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