- REGION HOPES TO SWEETEN UP SEWAGE DEAL WITH MUNICIPALITIES
- ARESST MEMBER RESPONDS TO GEOFF YOUNG'S 'FACT-BASED EVIDENCE' CLAIM
- COMPARE BRIGHTWATER EIS TO MCLOUGHLIN POINT EIS - BRIGHTWATER EIS IS SERIOUS!
- ESQUIMALT-JUAN DE FUCA LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE DAVID HODGINS' - SEWAGE-RELATED COMMENT
- CCME SLUDGE ("BIOSOLIDS") CONSULTATIONS AND POLICY PROPOSALS
------------------------------
ESQUIMALT-JUAN DE FUCA LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE DAVID HODGINS' - SEWAGE-RELATED COMMENT
The federal government is one of the funding partners contributing $250 million towards the construction of a new CRD sewage plant slated for Esquimalt’s McCloughlin Point. Our current MP Keith Martin is opposed to the project, so what does Hodgins say?
“There is much more research to do before making any final decision related to the type and location of a sewage treatment facility. The right decision is not usually the easiest nor is it the quickest decision. We need to truly listen to the folks who live in and know the area and its needs intimately. As well, we need to research and better understand which contemporary technologies have been implemented and how they are working in other communities and countries,” says Hodgins.
Full blog post of Hodgins' comments at: http://esquimaltreview.
------------------------------
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environement (CCME) has a Biosolids Group that is working to 'harmonize' sludge 'biosolids' policies across Canada.
Now that the EPA in the USA admits they were wrong to promote land application of sewage sludge over other disposal/use options..the Canadian government is gearing up to repeat the US mistakes.
The "CCME Biosolids Group" propose to direct all municipal sewage sludges to agricultural lands as 'Beneficial Use Biosolids' and to declare as a matter of policy that all agricultural use of sewage sludge is 'safe' and protective of human health.
It is extraordinary that intelligent people could propose to declare sludge land application 'safe' and 'protective' with no reference to standards or limits.
Indeed why set standards for anything? Why not just declare everything from water to elevators to airplanes as 'safe' as a matter of policy?
If you want to be subscribed to the CCME sludge biosolids notification list you can sign yourself up here:
CCME listserv http://www.ccme.ca/
END.
- ARESST MEMBER RESPONDS TO GEOFF YOUNG'S 'FACT-BASED EVIDENCE' CLAIM
- COMPARE BRIGHTWATER EIS TO MCLOUGHLIN POINT EIS - BRIGHTWATER EIS IS SERIOUS!
- ESQUIMALT-JUAN DE FUCA LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE DAVID HODGINS' - SEWAGE-RELATED COMMENT
- CCME SLUDGE ("BIOSOLIDS") CONSULTATIONS AND POLICY PROPOSALS
- TALK/RECEPTION: "OCEANGYBE EXPEDITION", UVIC, 7 FEB, 4:30PM
------------------------------
REGION HOPES TO SWEETEN UP SEWAGE DEAL WITH MUNICIPALITIES
Erin McCracken
Saanich News (page A10 - scanned, not in online edition yet)
2 February 2011
The future host-municipalities of sewage treatment facilities in the Capital Region could be financially compensated for their trouble.
But if and how that plays out will depend on whether the region’s 13 municipalities agree to bankroll the fund — to the tune of $6 million.
The Capital Regional District’s board recommendations on the issue are now making their way through municipal councils, committees and public input sessions.
Oak Bay council recently declined to shell out for the fund.
"It’s a difficult topic because it results in expenses, of course," said Geoff Young, CRD board chair. "Everyone using the system has to pay extra."
CRD recommendations, based on a 2010 consultant’s report, include contributing one per cent of a portion of the $790-million sewage treatment project to the proposed fund.
That translates into a $6 million lump-sum payment, of which $2.5 million could go to Esquimalt whose McLoughlin Point has been identified as location for a liquid waste treatment facility.
Another $2.5 million could go to the future host of a biosolids facility and an additional $1 million would compensate the location of additional storage facilities.
Esquimalt council has said McLoughlin Point is the wrong choice for a plant.
Council’s suspicion and frustration was equally strong at a Jan. 24 meeting over the recommendations designed to mitigate or lessen the impact of possible odour and appearance - and to potentially sweeten the deal with money.
Esquimalt staff is now poring over two reports on the issue - the c0nsultant’s and CRD’s - after discrepancies were said to be discovered between them.
Esquimalt council will. next explore the issue Monday (Feb. 7). The CRD will begin mulling over municipal feedback, possibly by April.
(scanned)
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ARESST: An ARESST member has sent the following email to CRD Director Geoff Young, because as our ARESST member says, "The hypocrisy of not supporting an issue due to a lack of fact based evidence could not go unchallenged." Director Young was a member of CALWMC when the sewage plant project was initiated in 2006. If you also wish to send messages to Young and other CRD Directors: Click here to go to CRD Directors' contact websites
ARESST MEMBER RESPONDS TO GEOFF YOUNG'S 'FACT-BASED EVIDENCE' CLAIM
Re: VICTORIA COUNCIL BACKS ACCESS TO BOOZE, DRUGS, Times Colonist, 28 January, 2011
In a Times Colonist January 28, 2011 article on drug addiction and alcoholism you are reported as being critical of a report for not having enough fact-based evidence. You are directly quoted with "Demonstrating that that approach will be a successful one for us as housing providers requires more than merely a philosophical statement we should aspire to. It should present evidence that this is a direction that works," Young said.
If you hold that fact based science is necessary for the development of sound public policy then how is it that you are proceeding with land based secondary sewage treatment without having required a triple bottom line comparison between the natural system we have in place now and what you are proposing? The taxpayers need to know what benefits we will receive over the existing system and that there is a need to spend our tax dollars. What problem are we trying to solve? What’s broken? It’s not too much to ask if government is planning to spend $800,000,000 of our tax dollars (capital alone).
The provincial order was silent on the issue of secondary sewage treatment. That idea came from the CRD Board.
With Respect
(ARESST member)
------------------------------
BRIGHTWATER EIS APPEARS MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE MCLOUGHLIN POINT EIS
ARESST: An ARESST member has sent the following email to CRD Director Geoff Young, because as our ARESST member says, "The hypocrisy of not supporting an issue due to a lack of fact based evidence could not go unchallenged." Director Young was a member of CALWMC when the sewage plant project was initiated in 2006. If you also wish to send messages to Young and other CRD Directors: Click here to go to CRD Directors' contact websites
ARESST MEMBER RESPONDS TO GEOFF YOUNG'S 'FACT-BASED EVIDENCE' CLAIM
Re: VICTORIA COUNCIL BACKS ACCESS TO BOOZE, DRUGS, Times Colonist, 28 January, 2011
In a Times Colonist January 28, 2011 article on drug addiction and alcoholism you are reported as being critical of a report for not having enough fact-based evidence. You are directly quoted with "Demonstrating that that approach will be a successful one for us as housing providers requires more than merely a philosophical statement we should aspire to. It should present evidence that this is a direction that works," Young said.
If you hold that fact based science is necessary for the development of sound public policy then how is it that you are proceeding with land based secondary sewage treatment without having required a triple bottom line comparison between the natural system we have in place now and what you are proposing? The taxpayers need to know what benefits we will receive over the existing system and that there is a need to spend our tax dollars. What problem are we trying to solve? What’s broken? It’s not too much to ask if government is planning to spend $800,000,000 of our tax dollars (capital alone).
The provincial order was silent on the issue of secondary sewage treatment. That idea came from the CRD Board.
With Respect
(ARESST member)
------------------------------
BRIGHTWATER EIS APPEARS MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE MCLOUGHLIN POINT EIS
Even with the marine component yet to be released, the McLoughlin Point Terrestrial Environmental Impact Study
still appears so much less comprehensive than the similar-volume Brightwater (near Seattle) sewage plant environmental
impact study. CRD - and especially Esquimalt and Victoria Harbour residents - deserve a similar comprenhensive research
effort.
Note correct link to the CRD's Terrestrial EIS is at:
ARESST members may be very interested in seeing and commenting on the McLoughlin Point Marine EIS - when it appears.
ESQUIMALT-JUAN DE FUCA LIBERAL PARTY CANDIDATE DAVID HODGINS' - SEWAGE-RELATED COMMENT
The federal government is one of the funding partners contributing $250 million towards the construction of a new CRD sewage plant slated for Esquimalt’s McCloughlin Point. Our current MP Keith Martin is opposed to the project, so what does Hodgins say?
“There is much more research to do before making any final decision related to the type and location of a sewage treatment facility. The right decision is not usually the easiest nor is it the quickest decision. We need to truly listen to the folks who live in and know the area and its needs intimately. As well, we need to research and better understand which contemporary technologies have been implemented and how they are working in other communities and countries,” says Hodgins.
Full blog post of Hodgins' comments at: http://esquimaltreview.
------------------------------
CCME SLUDGE ("BIOSOLIDS") CONSULTATIONS AND POLICY PROPOSALS
Maureen Reilly's Sludgewatch Email List (http://list.web.net/lists/
2 February 2011
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environement (CCME) has a Biosolids Group that is working to 'harmonize' sludge 'biosolids' policies across Canada.
Now that the EPA in the USA admits they were wrong to promote land application of sewage sludge over other disposal/use options..the Canadian government is gearing up to repeat the US mistakes.
The "CCME Biosolids Group" propose to direct all municipal sewage sludges to agricultural lands as 'Beneficial Use Biosolids' and to declare as a matter of policy that all agricultural use of sewage sludge is 'safe' and protective of human health.
It is extraordinary that intelligent people could propose to declare sludge land application 'safe' and 'protective' with no reference to standards or limits.
Indeed why set standards for anything? Why not just declare everything from water to elevators to airplanes as 'safe' as a matter of policy?
If you want to be subscribed to the CCME sludge biosolids notification list you can sign yourself up here:
CCME listserv http://www.ccme.ca/
------------------------------
TALK/RECEPTION: "OCEANGYBE EXPEDITION", UVIC, 7 FEB, 4:30PM
The OceanGybe Expedition
2011-02-07
4:30pm
The Faculty of Engineering, Ocean Networks Canada and OceanGybe present The OceanGybe Expedition
- 70 000 ocean km, 37 countries, 3 oceans and one message of conservation.
OceanGybe is a global sailing expedition that explored the remote coastlines of the world, searching for adventure, garbage and waves. The goal: bring awareness to the vast tracts of undocumented ocean pollution that afflicts every coastline on earth and affects the people who depend on them for survival.
Over the past three years, UVic Engineering grads, Bryson Robertson, Hugh Patterson and Ryan Robertson have sailed around the world documenting the polluted state of our oceans and isolated beaches due to plastic and other detritus.
A reception in the lobby of the Bob Wright Centre will precede the event at 4:30 p.m., lecture to start at 5:30 p.m. in A104.
Related Website http://www.oceangybe.com
Location: WRIGHT CENTRE
A104, Bob Wright Centre
Times 16:30:00 to 18:30:00
Pricing Free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served.
For more information on this lecture please contact the Science & Engineering Development Office at 250-472-4210.
Sponsor Kate Hollefreund
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