For Immediate Release
May 31, 2007

DALTON MCGUINTY WASHES HIS HANDS OF WATER RESPONSIBILITIES
Minister of Environment ignores guidelines from Health Canada

(Queen’s Park, Toronto) Progressive Conservative MPP Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock) today called on Dalton McGuinty to address the growing concerns in Ontario communities with high levels of lead in the water coming to their homes.

“Despite the clear and proposed guidelines from Health Canada on testing for water contamination, the Premier and his Minister of Environment have chosen to ignore those recommendations and have instead issued a woefully inadequate form of testing in this province,” said Scott.

Scott pointed to the recommended guidelines from Health Canada which suggest that the initial water sample should be taken at the consumer’s cold drinking water tap after the water has been stagnant for at least six hours (no water flushing indicated); and the initial samples should be taken at 100 monitoring sites.

The testing order from the provincial government includes selecting only 20 single family homes, and the samples must be taken after a five minute period of “moderate” flushing.

“Why wouldn’t Dalton McGuinty and the Minister of the Environment follow the stricter guidelines so that we can get a more accurate picture of what’s going with the water in this province,” Scott asked in the legislature. “The substance of the issue is that there are serious concerns about the quality of the tap water in communities across the province. The tests that were ordered don’t even meet the new guidelines that are up for consultation nor do they meet the standards used in the United States.”

“Dalton McGuinty has refused to take action or show leadership by ordering testing of the water that is in-line with the proposed Health Canada guidelines,” added Scott. “He should ensure that the same thing is done for our schools and our hospitals.”

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For Further Information Contact:

Laurie Scott, MPP

705- 324-6654

1-800-424-2490