Farmscape for September 17, 2008   (Episode 2962)

Manitoba's conservation minister is rejecting a proposed compromise amendment to Bill 17 that would ease a proposed ban on hog industry development in much of eastern Manitoba.

Bill 17, which proposes a ban on new or expanded hog barn construction in southeastern Manitoba, the Red River Valley Special Management Zone and the Interlake, is expected to move to third reading and possible passage this fall.

Earlier this week Manitoba Pork Council proposed, the "Zero Percent Solution," replacing the moratorium with limits on hog manure nutrient application, a ban on winter spreading and requirements for incorporation of manure within 48 hours off application.

Conservation minister Stan Struthers remains convinced the moratorium is necessary.

Clip-Stan Struthers-Manitoba Conservation Minister
Their Zero Percent Solution contributes zero percent to solving the problem and clearly it's simply a way to gut Bill 17.

The Manitoba Tories and Manitoba Pork have both put this so-called solution, so-called compromise together.

The fact of the matter is though, in terms of banning winter spreading and limiting manure application and requirements for incorporation into the ground, those are things we've been working on well ahead of this proposal.

The Clean Environment Commission has pointed us in that direction and we're following up on that already.

What we're saying though is that we need to take the strong step of Bill 17.

We need to put the moratorium in place so that those sensitive areas of our province can have that kind of protection, water protection that we think Manitoba needs.

Struthers notes all parties have agreed to move several bills forward, including Bill 17 by October 8.

He says there may be amendments that come forward but, within a month, we should have in place a higher level of protection for Manitoba's water.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council