October 11, 2011


LETTER: CRD DIRECTORS AT FAULT FOR THE SEWAGE SPENDING (David Anderson)
LETTER: HERE'S OUR CHANCE TO CHANGE SEWAGE PLAN (Ted Dew-Jones)
LETTER: SEWAGE FUNDING DEAL IS IN THE WORKS (Minister Chong)
LETTER: SEWAGE TREATMENT IS A LOW PRIORITY (Waldie)

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LETTER: CRD DIRECTORS AT FAULT FOR THE SEWAGE SPENDING (David Anderson)
 
David Anderson
Times Colonist
October 11, 2011

Since 2006, through the pages of this newspaper and elsewhere, the Capital Regional District has been warned, time after time, that there was no firm written commitment from either provincial or federal governments for its on-land secondary sewage treatment proposals.

Now, when Community Development Minister Ida Chong makes the sensible statement that she will not go to Treasury Board for a provincial contribution until the federal commitment is in place, CRD directors complain.

The complaints should instead be from the public to the CRD directors themselves, who have irresponsibly spent $24 million without any formal commitments for cost sharing, and with only the most cursory cost/benefit analysis of the treatment proposals they are advocating.

Taxpayers should note that because the CRD has obtained no formal commitment from the federal government, there is no "stand alone" requirement, which would result in any federal contribution being in addition to other jointly funded infrastructure programs.

Therefore, there is a high risk if this scientifically unjustified on-land secondary treatment proposal goes ahead, any federal contribution will be deducted from the federal contribution to other infrastructure joint programs - in effect requiring the province to fund both the federal and the provincial shares. Chong has good reason for caution.

Perhaps the CRD directors quoted hope that by blaming Chong they can divert attention from their mistakes. It would be more helpful to the citizens and taxpayers of Greater Victoria if they instead honestly shouldered the blame for their own much more costly failures on this file.

David Anderson
Victoria

http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=923007b7-bfb2-4abf-a6a1-8e7aee26f945

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LETTER: HERE'S OUR CHANCE TO CHANGE SEWAGE PLAN (Ted Dew-Jones)
 
Ted Dew-jones
Times Colonist
October 11, 2011

Some years ago a major U.K. research team reported that long sewage outfalls could be "environmentally preferable" to secondary treatment where the conditions were suitable. As ours are ideal that means that once our new land-based plants are installed, the best thing to do to protect the environment would be to abandon them and revert to present practice.

Over a generation, no medical health officer, no biologist and no oceanographer involved in monitoring the outfalls has supported the notion that we need land-based plants. There are no exceptions.

Barry Penner, when he was minister of environment, used a quote from the text of a report that never had peer review and is therefore of limited scientific value.

Indeed, the conclusions of that report do not recommend land-based plants. Totally ignored by the Capital Regional District and the minister are the significant environmental and health costs of manufacturing, transporting and installing a billion dollars worth of material and then operating the plants.

The latest cost issue provides a chance to re-examine this terrible backward step.

Ted Dew-Jones
Victoria

http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=07e6c0a5-e673-41a8-a909-8f25d60f2dab

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LETTER: SEWAGE FUNDING DEAL IS IN THE WORKS (Minister Chong)
 
Ida Chong
Times Colonist
October 11, 2011

I am writing to set the record straight regarding the completion of the region's sewage treatment system.

This project is proceeding as it should. In 2006, the province announced it would contribute one-third of the funding required.

The commitment to the project remains the same. The province continues to work with the Capital Regional District and the federal government to find the best solution for sewage treatment in Victoria.

Treasury Board discussions are part of government's normal process and provide direction at key stages in major projects. We are committed to delivering this project for the region, and so is the federal government.

Let me be very clear - the federal government has been a steadfast partner through the entire process.

I am confident that the province, federal government, and the CRD will come to a tripartite agreement.

Ida Chong
Minister of Community Sport and Cultural Development

http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=04ae10a0-aafa-475d-8124-1898ae7f4965

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LETTER: SEWAGE TREATMENT IS A LOW PRIORITY (Waldie)

David E. Waldie
Times Colonist
10 October (internet only)

Maybe the federal government is dragging its feet on helping to fund the scientifically unnecessary sewage treatment project because they are waking up to the fact that the majority of taxpayers of the capital region don’t want it, the feds have more important things to spend money on in these uncertain economic times, and the present system of natural sewage treatment in the ocean is working just fine, thank you.

David E. Waldie
Saanich


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