Letter from Basil L. Stewart, president of Federation of Canadian Municipalities to Prime Minister Stephen Harper re: downloading wastewater treatment costs on to local municipalities and ratepayers.

FCM supports the proposed new federal regulations for the treatment
of wastewater. However, we are deeply concerned that the costs of
implementing these regulations will be offloaded on to local property
tax payers. We are calling on your government to commit to a national,
cost-shared plan to implement the regulations and help municipalities
protect Canada’s water resources.
By the federal government’s own estimates, upgrading wastewater
facilities across the country to meet the new regulations will cost at
least $12 billion over the next 20 years. Municipalities who receive just
eight cents of every tax dollar collected in Canada cannot absorb these
expenses on their own.
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