Newmarket Mayor John Taylor says it's "unacceptable" for the province to halt the environmental assessment for the proposed Upper York Sewage Solutions plant, which is key to the town's future growth.
Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek introduced Bill 306: York Region Wastewater Act on Thursday at Queen's Park, stating that the minister will not make any decision regarding the assessment, which was originally submitted in 2014 but has remained unapproved by successive governments.
Yurek says the province will instead establish an expert panel to review sewage solutions in the region.
Taylor said he's "extremely disappointed" by the lack of a decision.
"We're in government to make tough choices," Taylor said. "Making no decisions is not, in my opinion, responsible."
The $715-million Upper York Sewage Solutions plant at East Gwillimbury has been stalled for years. It has generated concern over the possible impact on the Lake Simcoe watershed, with the Town of Georgina and Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation opposing it.
The plant would treat East Gwillimbury, Newmarket and Aurora sewage.
The province has previously proposed an alternative that would send wastewater to an existing plant in Pickering.
York Region signalled in January that it would continue pushing for the East Gwillimbury plant, but that it would remain open to the provincial alternative.
Yurek said the government wants to ensure it has up-to-date information and consider options.
“Many years have passed since this environmental assessment began,” Yurek said in the Ontario Legislature. “This government wants to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information on the environmental, social and financial impacts of alternatives to provide wastewater services appropriately.”
The proposed East Gwillimbury plant would address sewage capacity issues for Newmarket, which is due to reach its maximum limit within 10 years.
Taylor said more capacity is vital to allow the municipality to grow and create more housing.
"We will soon be without capacity to build one more home,” he said. “Constrained supply for another year or two is only going to drive prices up and make things less affordable."
He said he's concerned about how long an expert panel might take to present its findings. If the province wants to go with the alternative option, they should compel York Region to proceed that way, he added.
Yurek says the panel would include a variety of experts.
“A variety of areas, including land-use planning, wastewater infrastructure, and... key stakeholders like our Indigenous communities that will be affected,” Yurek said.
Taylor said the panel is "red tape" and goes against the provincial government's promises to be "open for business."
"It is not moving the region forward or the province forward," he said.
