It is our submission that the potential detrimental effects of any new and expanded roads and additional road salt on Ramsey Lake water quality outweighs any benefits from road expansion and therefore the “do nothing” option is the only option GSWA can currently support. There are other traffic and road mitigation measures that must be considered, such as magnesium chloride, crushed granite sand, increased public transportation, staggered business hours, bike lanes, etc., that must be in place. A Risk Management Plan to address effective road salt mitigation, and consideration of the Master Transit Plan are essential.
GSWA is primarily concerned with the additional winter road salt that would be required to service the above proposed road projects within the Ramsey Lake Watershed, and the resulting environmental effects on Ramsey Lake – a public and private drinking water source for approximately 50,000 citizens within the City of Greater Sudbury.
Further to our letter dated 25 April 2015 (attached), the Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance wishes to inform you that our concerns have not been addressed. Therefore, we continue to request that the Minister issue a Part ll Order to elevate the Environmental Assessment to an Individual Environmental Assessment to ensure that adequate stormwater management has been incorporated into the Second Avenue infrastructure improvements, and that the waters of Ramsey Lake are protected.
The increased surface area of the new roadway will more than triple the amount of surface (storm) water entering into the storm water drainage system in the Ramsey Lake Watershed. Presently, open ditches service some of this area and provide for a level of natural filtration and infiltration of runoff. In the proposed extension of the original project, ditches would be replaced by underground pipes leading directly to Ramsey Lake, thus reducing natural filtration.