Waterloo Moraine & Risks of Line 9 Reversal

to Canada's GDP and food security.

By Louisette Lanteigne
butterflybluelu@rogers.com
 Aquifers:
The key to Waterloo Region's prosperity
 Waterloo Region's Water Supply
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is
Canada's largest municipality to rely almost
entirely on groundwater.
(75% wells, 25% the Grand River)

Over 100 interconnected wells are used to

supply drinking water to an ever growing
population of close to 1 million people that
reside in one of Ontario's main economic
growth areas.
 The Waterloo Moraine
Yellow zone gathers 80% of the water
Water + Aggregates = Aquifers
Waterloo Moraine's Complex Geology


Along coastal areas,
geological composition is
relatively consistent and
“predictable”.

The Waterloo Moraine is
located at the intersection
of multiple glacial lobes.

The geology is very
complex and less
predictable.
 Cross Section of Waterloo Moraine:
Topography isn't enough to prevent risks!
Contamination goes to wells in spite of topography!
Mike Stone re: Waterloo Moraine Chloride issues
Waterloo Moraine and Grand River's
contribution to the GDP
 Waterloo Region's economic contributions
Waterloo has a skilled and talented workforce of 282,300 (2010)
$19.5 billion GDP, with a 5.8% increase from 2009 to 2010 (2010)
Canada’s second most manufacturing intensive economy; 20% of our employed
population (2008)
Canada’s 10th and Ontario’s 4th largest urban area (2010)
One of Canada’s fastest growing communities, with a population of 543,700
people that is projected to reach 729,000 people by 2031
74,000 full-time post-secondary students, including 15,000 co-operative
education students
University of Waterloo’s Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (including the
Agri-Food for Healthy Aging [A-HA] initiative)
Conestoga College’s Institute for Food Processing Technology
Close proximity to the University of Guelph, a leading agri-food research
institution.
WATERLOO REGION PROFILE FOR 2011 -2014 STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
 Grand River
- -Provides 25% of Waterloo Region's water and 100% of
the water supply for Brantford, Brent County and Six
Nations.
- The Grand supports the same gross national revenue as
the province of Nova Scotia. (State of the Grand River
Watershed, GRCA)
- Natural Heritage River contains 51% of Canada's native
fish species including threatened and endangered species
- River and tributaries support commercial fishing, tourism,
birding, boating, trails and recreational use
-Recharges Lake Erie
Waterloo Moraine & Agricultural Industries
Waterloo Region's Agricultural industries

Waterloo is the second largest foodbelt in

Ontario: Total gross farm receipts in 2005
for all farms in Waterloo Region totalled
almost $400 million.
Agriculture represents the largest land use
activity in Waterloo Region

WATERLOO REGION PROFILE FOR 2011 -2014 STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

.
 Waterloo Agriculture Cont.
Although direct employment numbers on
the farm are minimal, the impact of our
access to agricultural land and product on
employment across the entire food industry,
from research, processing and end users is
enormous.
WATERLOO REGION PROFILE FOR 2011 -2014 STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
LEADING FOOD COMPANIES IN WATERLOO REGION (some examples)

Schneider-Maple Leaf Foods - Kitchener meat processing since 1886 and

inventor of the official Oktoberfest Sausage

Dare Foods – Family owned since 1892

Frito Lay – One of North America's largest snack food companies

Weston Bakeries – Variety of fresh fresh, frozen frozen and speciality bakery
products

Pillers Sausages & Delicatessens – A 1957 butcher shop that evolved into one
of North America's Largest producers of sausages and deli meats

Elmira Poultry – One of Canada's largest meat suppliers since 1985

Tamming Foods LTD. – Sugar wafer products

Delft Blue Inc. – Milk fed veal supplier and meat packer, fresh case ready milk
and grain fed veal

DC Food Processing – Packer, private label batter, breaded chicken, fish, veal
and cheese
 Minimal Sociological Impacts
With Climate Change, the Gulf Spill, the Tar Sands
and the Kalamazoo oil spill it is reasonable that the
public becomes upset when planning matters
regarding fossil fuels are affecting their area. The
public has witnessed the damage and they
understand the science. They know the risks are real
Waterloo Region lost 80% of our apple crops,
40-50% of our peaches and we'll have no harvests of
plumbs or cherry this year. 100 million in damages for
apples alone in Ontario..
In this age it is unreasonable to assume that any oil
pipeline will only have minimal sociological impacts.
Enbridge's Insurance coverage for oil spills has
not always been sufficient.
 Case example #1:

Enbridge has promises that there would be more

than $1.4 billion available for clean up in the event
of an oil spill.*
* Sources for this funding include ship-owner's insurance, the Canada
Ship Source Fund, the International Oil Pollution Fund and the
Supplemental International Oil Pollution Fund,
Insurance didn't cover all the expenses of the
Exxon Valdez

The Exxon Valdez clean-up cost far more than $1.4

billion. According to Exxon, it spent about $2.1 billion.
The effort took more than four summers of clean up
before it was called off.
 Case example #2:

With the Kalamazoo spill, Enbridge exceeded their

insured clean up coverage of $600 million and now
estimates that the clean-up will cost more than $720
million.
(source: The Tyee article: Economist Calls Gateway Pipeline an Inflationary 'Threat')
Economists warn about further inadequate
insurance coverage issues with Enbridge:

Robyn Allan, the former president and CEO of the

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia,
characterizes the reduction of Enbridge's insurance
coverage for oil spills to $575 million for the Northern
Gateway as "likely insufficient" to cover the cost of
any real spills along the 1,000 kilometre pipeline over
mountainous terrain.
 What needs to be addressed
The technology, laws and regulations, and
practices for containing, responding to, and
cleaning up spills lag behind the real risks
and associated costs.
 How much is 1% of the Waterloo Region's
Water Supply in terms of basic water costs?

(*Not counting it's function for industrial or

agricultural use.)
 1% of the Waterloo Region's water,
at 1 cent per litre = $18,184 per day,
Annually: $6,637,160
Source: Expert data as used in EBR request for Review for a Waterloo Moraine Protection Act
 How to improve testing to avoid risks
With climate change we are experiencing unpredictable
weather patterns. If you overlap precipitation patterns in
Waterloo Region for 2008 and 2011 they are the complete
opposite. We had the same precipitation levels but
dramatic variability as to when rains showed up.
Spring thaw or heavy rains can cause pipes to sink and
break, especially in primary recharge areas. To avoid
structural integrity issues, mandate mandatory spring thaw
testing & bore hole data to assess sediment composition
and water tables and be sure to check for seasonal
variants so we can avoid risks.
 Hill slopes can be recharge areas!

Even hill slopes can be active recharge areas if

they are part of an outwash moraine system. The
shingle like sediment distribution makes bore hole
data unreliable as it gives false positives that
slopes are impervious. These slopes can contain
high recharge zones in between.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems are far
more accurate to assess risks to water tables in
these areas.
 Modflow has it's flaws
so back it up with further data.
Many hydrology firms use Modflow programs to study
aquifers but the program assumes aquifers are self
contained and this poses a risk.
Data input is often subjective which is why mandatory
testing standards and methods are needed to clarify
processes to explain where the numbers came from
and how they came to the results. Make sure the data
being used is current.
Modflow works better when supported with localized
geological data including sediment type to better
understand actual hydrological connectivity.
 Better bore holes = better risk prevention.
Waterloo's Aquifers are a multilayered, interconnected
aquifer system and it is extremely difficult if not impossible
in some cases to secure reasonable hydraulic
containment should a spill occur.
To better understand our moraine, we need deep bore
hole testing of 100 m or more to see what aquifers may be
impacted should a spill happen, in order to adequately
protect municipal, agricultural and industrial water
supplies.
 Abandoned wells pose a risk
In Waterloo Region, there are numerous
old unused wells that provide a direct line
for contaminants to reach groundwater
aquifers. We must make sure that wells are
capped properly, especially in proximity to
pipelines in order to prevent contamination
risks.
 Regarding Rare Species
Animals such as the Wavy-Rayed
Lampmussel, the Rainbow Mussel are
federally protected and they live in the
Grand River and area tributaries however,
EIS studies often fail to have regard for
mollusk studies.
In wetlands we have Jefferson
Salamanders. Be sure amphibian studies
for these species using appropriate testing
methods at the correct time of the year.
What if disaster strikes?
Cost for a Lake Erie Pipeline
- Cost: $1.2 billion (2008)
- does not include
treatment or
transportation costs
- Does not include cost
to upgrade intake
facilities.
- Water delivered uphill
- The Grand River would
be “infrastructure” and
lose heritage status.
Cost for a Lake Erie Pipeline
- Does not include
increased minimum
wages
-Does not include
increased costs of
materials that have
dramatically increased
due to tar sands
expansions ie: Steel is
up 66%
-How much would water
costs increase?
Lake Erie March 12, 2012
Will it even be drinkable?
Zebra Mussels in intake pipe

ar
Toxic Blue Green Algae
 To protect communities and the economy, realistically
assess the monetary risks and let us make source water
protection the highest priority!