Proceedings of the State of the Strait Conference

To: the BC Ministry of the Environment |

* Do not grant any permit for the bulk export of fresh water until the following conditions
have been met: (a) the firil implications of the Free Trade Agreement on future fresh water
exports have been examined and made public; (b) a baseline study of the organisrns, water
quality and, for coastal areas, the oceanographic conditions has been completed. This
study should include input from Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans, and for coastal areas, the Department of Transport and Coast Guard: (c) based on
the information gathered during the baseline study and the potential impacts of granting
the permit, a joint provincial-federal environmental impact assessmen! is completed
under the federal Environmental Assessment Review Process (EARP). This assessment
should be paid for by the water export applicant; (d) full public hearings are held on the
environmental impact assessment; and (e) all native land claims for the area have been

settled.

To: the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and BC Ministry of Environment

© Do not grant any future foreshore leases (eg. for salmon farms, log storage, or other uses)
or coastal outfall permits until the following conditions have been met: (a) a baseline study
of the organisms, water quality and oceanographic conditions has been completed. This
study should include input from Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans, Department of Transport and Coast Guard; (b) based on the information gathered
during the baseline study and the potential impacts of granting the lease or permit, a joint
provincial-federal environmental impact assessment is completed under the federal Envi-
ronmental Assessment Review Process (EARP). This assessment should be paid for by the

proponent; (c) full public hearings are held on the environmental impact assessment; and
(d) all native land claims for the area have been settled.

* When granting foreshore leases or outfall permits, attach appropriate constrair:ts to
protect the water quality and marine organisms.

To: Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and BC Ministry of
Environment

¢ Carry out regular monitoring of all existing coastal outfalls and foreshore leases,
particularly of salmon farms and log storage areas, and make the results of this monitoring
available to the public.

GOVERNMENTAL ACTION

Conflicting jurisdictions in the Georgia Strait region, lack of concerted goverr.ment effort
to stop environmental degradation, and lack of public access to resources and information
are serious obstacles to changing our present destructive course. Greater public responsi-
bility and authority in caring for the ecological foundation of our existence in this region is
needed. We must fundamentally change our way of life from a destructive, exploitive
course to a caring, nurturing course.

To: the Governments of Canada and British Columbia
* Institute a Green Tax on products that are environmentally harmful such as oil, bleached