Agricultural runoff complaints increase on P.E.I.

There have been 15 complaints to P.E.I.'s Ag-Environment Team this spring, more than the last two years combined.

Runoff is soil that's washed off a field onto another piece of land, or into the water. It can be a particular problem in the spring, before crops have grown to hold the soil together.

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Runoff can do more than muddy the water — it can be dangerous for fish and other aquatic life. The province has put legislation in place to stop runoff from happening.

The 15 complaints so far this year compare to six for all of last year and three the year before.

Fixing the problem rather than issuing fines

Ag-Environment Team leader Shawn Schofield Schofield said he hasn't handed out any charges or fines so far this year.

His team has the power to do that, but he prefers working with growers and Department of Agriculture to come up with solutions.

"Generally speaking we'll come up with an environmental order to correct the problem," said Schofield.

"I'd much rather see it corrected than just handed a fine. So I'm more willing to work with the landowners to correct the problem as opposed to going in heavy handed."

Schofield said about half of this year's complaints have come from one person, while the rest came from seven or eight others.

A call for charges

Sharon Labchuk of Millvale in central Queens County said she's made multiple runoff complaints this spring.

Labchuck said there's been a lot of education about ways to prevent runoff, and more needs to be done to curb it.

"The province needs to start laying charges," she said.

"Some of these fields I reported have been doing this for decades. This wasn't a one-off where you might give someone a break because they made a mistake."

Labchuk suggests Islanders look for runoff in their area, and contact the Ag-Environment Team if they see it happening.

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