Tuesday, June 14, 2011

BC Environment Minister Strengthens Metro Vancouver’s Visionary Plan for Managing Rainwater Resources


Two years in the making, the Integrated Liquid Waste & Resource Management Plan (ILWRMP) establishes the framework for moving beyond regulatory compliance to transitioning Metro Vancouver to an approach where watershed-based planning is integrated within a broader, sustainability framework.

In a letter to the Metro Vancouver Board, BC Environment Minister Terry Lake commended the region’s plan while at the same time advising that it does not fully meet his requirements. So he has strengthened the plan by imposing conditions that expand the actions of the member municipalities vis-à-vis rainwater management.

“Member municipalities will develop a coordinated program to monitor stormwater and assess and report the implementation and effectiveness of Integrated Storm Water Management Plans (ISMP). The program will use a weight-of-evidence performance measurement approach,” stated the Environment Minister.
The Ministerial conditions link land use planning to the direction provided by the ISMPs. They also focus attention on how the degree, type and location of land development can affect the long-term health of the watershed. 

To learn more, first click on BC Environment Minister Strengthens Metro Vancouver’s Visionary Plan for Managing Rainwater Resources and then click on “ISMP Course Correction” aligns with Metro Vancouver’s proposed Ecological Health Plan to read two supporting stories posted on the Water Bucket website.

News Release #2011-28
June 14, 2011

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