Farms looking for water quality compensation

The Raisin-South Nation Source Protection Committee has officially received a proposal from its three agriculture representatives to provide compensation to landowners negatively impacted by measures introduced to safeguard the province's drinking water supplies.

The proposal is controversial because it goes against the Ontario Clean Water Act (OCWA), which doesn't provide for compensation in such cases. Raisin-South Nation SPC chairman Claude Cousineau said it'll form the basis of interesting deliberations in months to come.

The key recommendation from the three agriculture representatives is for a fair and impartial five-member tribunal convened, jury-style, to hear expert testimony to quantify related costs, inconveniences and damages resulting from regulations and restrictions.