Local pipeline concerns are validated

The province has weighed in on local concerns involving the Energy East Pipeline proposal.

Mayor Al McDonald says they’ve heard back after asking the province to look at the conversion of the Energy East Pipeline from natural gas to oil as a significant threat to our drinking water.

Meantime, the source water protection plan developed by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority and the local source protection committee has been approved by the province.

The plan, which takes effect July 1st ,has put in policies that protects drinking water sources throughout the region including North Bay, Powassan, Callander, Mattawa and South River.

In a release, Dave Mendicino, Chair of the NBMCA and the Source Protection Authority said,  “Protection of our municipal drinking water sources is paramount for the health of these communities and our watershed. For the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority to be asked by the province to oversee this program, supporting the locally-appointed multi-stakeholder Committee, it was a recognition of the importance of local expertise and the needs of our communities, ”