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October 26, 2021

The following is an excerpt from an email the MEA received from the Environmental Policy Branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP). The MEA would like to pass this information on to all our members:

Ontario is committed to preventing negative impacts from conflicting land uses within communities, such as the effects of industrial noise and odour pollution on residential areas.

On May 4, 2021, Ontario proposed changes to the current land use compatibility guidelines (“D-Series guidelines”) that municipalities and other planning authorities use when making land use planning decisions. The proposed changes aimed to update, renew and consolidate our land use compatibility guidelines to help ensure proper compatibility studies are completed before new sensitive land uses, such as residences, are built near existing major facilities (including industries or industrial areas), and vice versa.

During the 94-day consultation period, the ministry received over 500 comments. In response to the comments received, the ministry has decided to not move forward with this version of the proposed Land Use Compatibility Guideline. The current D-Series guidelines for land use compatibility will remain in effect and will continue to be the provincial guidelines referenced in the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe land use compatibility policies.

Should the Ministry decide to update the D-Series, any potential future update will be posted to the Environmental Registry as a proposal for consultation. To review the decision notice for this proposal, please see the Environmental Registry at http://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2785.

If you have any questions, please e-mail mecp.landpolicy@ontario.ca.