For immediate release: 14 August 2006

IMPROVED PLANNING TOOLS HELP FARMERS, RURAL PROPERTY OWNERS
Integrated Minimum Distance Separation Formulas Protect The Environment,
Support Rural Prosperity

TORONTO - The Ontario government is putting in place clear land-use planning tools that strengthen rural communities and the agricultural sector, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky announced today.

"The McGuinty government is helping livestock farmers and their neighbours across the province by introducing clearer, more consistent rules for land use," Dombrowsky said. "By acting on the advice of the Agricultural Advisory Team, we are also giving better planning guidance to municipalities."

The government is improving Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) formulas that are used to determine recommended distances between a livestock or permanent manure storage facility and another land use. The objective of MDS is to prevent land use conflicts and minimize nuisance complaints from odour. The agricultural community, municipal building officials, land-use planners and the public were consulted during the development of the revised formulas.

"Our organization fully supports the improvements the ministry has made to the MDS formulas," said Ron Bonnett, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. "Efforts that result in a better understanding of the MDS, and more consistent application of it, will benefit all rural property owners, not only farmers."

The changes to the MDS formulas are intended to ensure fairness in their use for farm operators, rural property owners and proponents of new development.

"The McGuinty government is listening to the concerns of rural Ontario," said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Gerretsen. "Our changes to the formulas can help municipal governments ensure a higher quality of life in farming communities across the province."

The revised MDS formulas will take effect January 1, 2007. Training for municipal planning officials will begin in October 2006.

Other initiatives that show that the McGuinty government is on the side of families in rural Ontario include:

• Investing more than $32 million in capital grants and up to $60 million in annual operating grants to help build a successful ethanol industry in Ontario
• Recognizing the unique needs of rural schools with $230 million for school repairs, library books and transition programs
• Investing more than $22 million in rural communities through the Rural Economic Development program
  

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Contacts:
Christopher Flavelle
Minister's Office
416-326-3072

Dave McLeod
Communications Branch
519-826-3198

IMPROVED MINIMUM DISTANCE SEPARATION (MDS) FORMULAS

In Ontario's rural and agricultural areas, the 2005 Provincial Policy Statement requires that new land uses, such as the creation of lots and new or expanding livestock facilities, comply with the Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) formulas. The MDS is used to determine a recommended separation distance between a livestock or permanent manure storage facility and another land use. The objective of the MDS is to prevent land use conflicts and minimize nuisance complaints from odour.

The MDS is incorporated into municipal planning documents such as zoning by-laws and official plans.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is revising the MDS formulas to address the advice given to the government by the Agricultural Advisory Team, which was appointed by the ministry to seek input from farmers and technical experts on a variety of land use and planning issues to ensure that the province's greening and growing strategy addresses the concerns of the agriculture industry.

The following changes to the MDS formulas will be in place as of January 1, 2007:

• Clarified implementation guidelines to ensure greater consistency
• Changes to ensure livestock uses and non-farm development are treated equally
• Ministry reviews of MDS every five years
• Additional information to help Committees of Adjustment and municipalities assess requests for minor variances
• Stronger encouragement of municipalities to apply MDS to vacant lots that are adjacent to livestock and manure storage facilities
• Alignment with existing nutrient management tools (e.g. base MDS on Nutrient Units)
• Require MDS for manure storages, where no livestock are present on the property
• Require MDS for anaerobic digester systems located on farms.

Ten regional sessions to provide training and guidance for municipalities and other users of MDS will begin in October, 2006.

The existing MDS includes a computer software program to assist in determining appropriate separation distances. OMAFRA will make revised and improved software available to municipalities and other stakeholders at the time that the new MDS is implemented. OMAFRA is also developing educational materials that will accompany the final new MDS document.

As part of the work to update MDS formulas, OMAFRA held nine formal consultation and briefing sessions with stakeholders, including more than 35 agricultural organizations, commodity groups, municipal organizations, land-use planners, building officials and municipal politicians. In addition, the updated MDS formulas were posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry in December 2005 for public comment and review.

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Contacts:
Christopher Flavelle
Minister's Office
(416) 326-3072

Charles Lalonde
Environment Policy and Programs Branch
(519) 826-3577