........the impact of water bottles on the environment, noting landfills cannot support the amount of garbage they generate. She stressed the importance of safe, accessible public water.
Disposable plastic water bottles could be on their way out at 150 Ottawa schools as Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustees vote tonight on a motion directing staff to create a plan to eliminate regular purchases and sales.
The motion, which would apply to all board facilities, starts a planning process that could see water bottles made unavailable for purchase in schools. Students may still be able to bring their own bottles to school.
"This is very much in keeping with attention to environmental matters that have been an ongoing part of our board's interests," said Lynn Scott, chair of the board.
Tonight will be the first board meeting dealing with the recommendation, which was approved by the board's business services committee nearly two weeks ago.
If a majority of trustees votes in favour of the motion, the Ottawa-Carleton school board would move closer to joining the ranks of Waterloo Region District School Board which voted recently to ban the sale of plastic water bottles starting next year.
The Toronto District School Board is also looking into a possible ban in its 560 schools.
"I don't see any reason why the board would not approve it, but you never know what is going to happen when you get into debates," Ms. Scott said.
The resolution, brought to committee by Zone 9 trustee Rob Campbell, noted disposable plastic water bottle are environmentally unwise and that Ottawa tap water is cheaper, of high quality and widely available.
The proposal also noted using or promoting disposable water bottles acts against the ethic of environmental responsibility that the board seeks to instil in its students.
Ms. Scott said if the proposal were approved, staff will look at a variety of elements including where the board can make the changes.
"What we expect out of that would be a plan that would be directed towards letting us eliminate, whether that be an absolute thing or a phase-out, at this stage we don't know."
As for whether students will be able to bring their own water bottles, Mr. Campbell said: "If people want to bring their bottled water from home, go ahead, don't think it's needed but it's up to you, but it removes us from the business."
Even if the motion is successful today, it could be easily altered or scrapped in the future , including during the planning process, depending on what a majority of trustees want.
Maude Barlow, national chairwoman for the Council of Canadians, is presenting at tonight's board meeting and is encouraging Ontario school boards to follow the Waterloo Region District School Board's example in banning the sale of plastic water bottles.
"The point is to make sure the resolution doesn't get watered down to point where it doesn't mean anything," she said.
Ms. Barlow said she is concerned about the impact of water bottles on the environment, noting landfills cannot support the amount of garbage they generate. She stressed the importance of safe, accessible public water.
This proposal is far from the board's first foray into environmental matters. The board has programs like EarthCare that covers issues from waste reduction to recycling to limiting consumption to reducing reliance on fossil.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Students unanimously passed a motion at its semi-annual meeting on May 26 that opposed bottled water.
The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa declared that its Board of Administration -- the top governing body for undergraduate students - would be a bottled-water free zone.
http://www.canada.com
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