All three readings were approved by County of Wetaskiwin council regarding its Municipal Development Plan (MDP) setback lengths for wetlands.
The MDP amendments previously requested by council were brought back during its Aug. 11 planning and economic development meeting.
Development officer Jarvis Grant gave a summary of changes before council: reduce the two mile setback from any city, town village to one and a half miles; add a list of specific lakes with a mandatory one mile setback with the inclusion of Twin Lakes; remove the one mile setback from the generic term lakes, multi lot subdivisions and First Nation reserves; remove the half mile setback from water courses and add a statement regarding other environmental features.
“Administration has gone ahead and done that,” said Grant.
On March 10, 2016 council had approved under no circumstances can a new Confined Feeding Operation (CFO) be located within one mile of the lakes Watelet, Bearhills, Town, Long, Houard and Labyrinth.
Prior to the Aug. 11 meeting administration reviewed the county’s MDP, land use bylaw, Agricultural Operations and Practices Act and Intermunicipal Development Plan with the City of Wetaskiwin, says Grant.
Grant says he found some differences between the land use bylaw and the MDP. “The Municipal Development Plan, being a statutory document, will supersede anything required in the land use bylaw in regards to setbacks.”
He informed council the matter can be addressed when it looks at land use bylaw amendments.
Grant added it should also be noted once operations start producing more than 500 tonnes of manure per year the manure storage system has to be built and regulated by Natural Resources Conservation Board, until then it falls under county jurisdiction.