FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2002

Water bill needs study

TORONTO – Ontario’s long-awaited water legislation, tabled Tuesday, is a step in the right direction, but will be meaningless if there aren’t the people to breathe life into it, said Ontario Public Service Employees Union President Leah Casselman.

“We want to give this legislation close study. We want to consult with our members to see if there are things missing. We have been intimately involved in this issue since the crisis hit Walkerton two and a half years ago,” she said.

OPSEU had standing throughout the O’Connor Inquiry into the tragedy in Walkerton. Its members were in the forefront coping with the massive outbreak of illness inflicted on the town through tainted water.

“It was our ambulance paramedics, our laboratory technologists, our hospital workers, our public health staff and our water treatment specialists in both the Ministry of the Environment and the Ontario Clean Water Agency who leapt in when the crisis hit,” she said.

“We’re pleased to see the government responding to so many of the O’Connor recommendations, but we want to make sure that nothing gets overlooked.”

She noted with concern that the information available so far does not mention a plan to give the Ministry of the Environment all the staff, the training and the tools recommended by Mr. Justice O’Connor.

Casselman said the union would do a detailed analysis of the legislation. “If there is anything missing, you can be sure that the people who really know how to protect our water will recognize it. This measure is long overdue. And we are going to ensure that the government gets it right this time.”

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For further information:

Katie FitzRandolph: 416-448-7440 or cell 416-788-9057 or kfitzrandolph@opseu.org  
Tim Hadwen: 416-443-8888