b'UPDATEOSWCA ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVES UPDATEOSWCA ADVOCACY AND INITIATIVESISSUES ON THE MOVEBY KRISHA RUCHLEWICZ OSWCA is very active in advocating on behalf of our members. Below are summaries of key issues we have been working on over the last quarter.S ince March 2020,environmental assessment (EA)WATERMAIN much of theprogram. This round of moderniza- DISINFECTION PROCEDUREAssociations advocacytion aims to: reduce EA approvalOn August 1, 2020 the work has been centredtimelines; move to an online EAMinistry of the Environment, around COVID-19submission process; and moveConservation and Parks and addressing issueslow-risk activities to a permit-by-rulereleased an updated version which have arisenprocess, among other objectives. of its Watermain Disinfection as a result of the pandemic (i.e.,Procedure. The procedure is contracts, employment, legislative,The Ministry is now in thereferenced in Schedule B of regulatory, OH&S, etc.). However,process of updating its connectedMunicipal Drinking Water there has been a slow shift awayregulations to include the following:Works Permits (typically from primarily COVID-19 relatedstreamline the assessment process;condition 2.3) and must be activities towards discussions,establish sectoral terms of refer- followed where parts of the consultations and initiativesence; put in place deadlines for thedrinking water system are outside of the scope of COVID-19. submission and approval process;added, modified, replaced or The following report outlines theand create a project list that willextended, unless the Director government-relations activitiesclearly identify projects that requirehas approved a different disin-related to COVID-19, as well asan EA, effectively exempting allfection procedure that is specific initiatives and advocacy unrelatedprojects not appearing on this list. to the system.to COVID-19.MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT,THERE HAS BEEN A SLOW SHIFT AWAYCONSERVATION AND PARKSPROPOSED CHANGESFROM PRIMARILY COVID-19 RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS FOR MUNICIPAL SEWAGE COLLECTION WORKS ACTIVITIES, TOWARDS DISCUSSIONS, On July 8, the Government of Ontario passed legislation (Bill 197 - COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act,CONSULTATIONS AND INITIATIVES2020) which includes amendments to modernize the provincialOUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF COVID-1910 H 2 OSWCAFall 2020'