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ACTION:
UPCOMING ACTIONS:
- CRD SEWAGE *COMMISSION* MEETS THURSDAY - YOUR PARTICIPATION WELCOMED
- PARTICIPATE AT CRD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS FOR SLUDGE PLANTS
ONGOING ACTIONS:
- BANNER WAVE CALENDAR & EVENTS CALENDAR
- DOWNLOAD STOPABADPLAN
PAST ACTIONS
- VIC WEST MEETING 25 MAY
- VIDEOS OF STOP A BAD PLAN PRESENTERS
CRD SEWAGE NEWS
- VIDEO OF MAYOR DESJARDINS AT CRD MEETING
- SEWAGE OPEN HOUSE LEAVES ESQUIMALT RESIDENTS COLD
- SEWAGE PLAN PLOWS AHEAD DESPITE ESQUIMALT REBUKE
- CRD MOVING AHEAD WITH PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BIOSOLIDS FACILITY
- BLACKWELL ON CFAX AUDIO INTERVIEW
LETTERS
- SLUDGE PLANT WOULD TAKE TOLL ON PROPERTY VALUES (McCarvill)
- ASK FOR MORE TIME ON SEWAGE PLAN (Callaghan)
- WE GET MORE SPIN ON SEWAGE PROJECT (Spencer)
- THREE MORE LETTERS - IMAGE
- SEND IN YOUR LETTERS!
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ACTION:
UPCOMING ACTIONS:
CRD SEWAGE *COMMISSION* MEETS THURSDAY - YOUR PARTICIPATION WELCOMED
Anybody wanting to present at CRD sewage COMMISSION meeting on Thursday should submit online form by Tuesday, 4:30pm:
http://www.crd.bc.ca/about/board/addressing.htmCRD sewage COMMISSION meets Thursday, 30 May:
http://crd.bc.ca/agendas/
Reports:
http://crd.bc.ca/reports/
The last report is the most interesting:
3) Cost Implications for a Combined Liquids and Biosolids Treatment at Hartland Landfill
http://crd.bc.ca/reports/
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CRD sludge plant engagements include Willis Point which is not in Core sewage area, is outside of Saanich and is 3 kms from Hartland landfill.
- But no engagement in Vic West!
PARTICIPATE AT CRD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS FOR SLUDGE PLANTS
http://crd.bc.ca/media/2013-
CRD is going to release the RFP for McLoughlin before it has been rezoned on July 5th.
"Victoria, BC-The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board today endorsed the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee’s recommendation to initiate public engagement on the Hartland and Viewfield locations for the Biosolids Energy Centre (BEC) and confirmed the schedule for procurement of the McLoughlin Point wastewater treatment plant, which would see a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on July 5, 2013"
"Victoria, BC-The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board today endorsed the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee’s recommendation to initiate public engagement on the Hartland and Viewfield locations for the Biosolids Energy Centre (BEC) and confirmed the schedule for procurement of the McLoughlin Point wastewater treatment plant, which would see a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on July 5, 2013"
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ONGOING ACTIONS:
MONITOR OUR STOPABADPLAN CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING EVENTS, AS WELL AS FACEBOOK SITE
BANNER WAVE CALENDAR & EVENTS CALENDAR
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DOWNLOAD STOPABADPLAN
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PAST ACTIONS
VIC WEST MEETING 25 MAY
Justine says: "The first public meeting of the Vic West Action Committee, which met to discuss strategies to stop the proposed Biosolids Energy Centre on Viewfield Road from becoming a reality. Great turnout! Great comments! Thank you Vic West and our neighbours in Esquimalt! We can feel the momentum building!
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VIDEOS OF STOP A BAD PLAN PRESENTERS
May 8, 2013 CRD sewage committee:
Beth Burton-Krahn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
- Beth explains how a choice of McLoughlin Pt. as a sewage treatment site while deemed appropriate for distributed system, was retained as a site by the CRD against peer review advice when it changed the design to a centralized model after its Liquid Waste Management Plan had been approved by the Ministry of Environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
- Beth explains how a choice of McLoughlin Pt. as a sewage treatment site while deemed appropriate for distributed system, was retained as a site by the CRD against peer review advice when it changed the design to a centralized model after its Liquid Waste Management Plan had been approved by the Ministry of Environment.
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Kim Bellefontaine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
- Kim reveals that a Saanich land owner has come forward to offer a 40ac parcel to the CRD in a rural area next to Victoria General Hospital that could host both of the CRD's proposed sewage facilities in a single location.
The CRD later rejected this idea citing cost but using weak reasoning behind it:
http://crd.bc.ca/media/2013-
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John Newcomb:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
- John explains how the CRD's choice to use McLoughlin Pt. will have ramifications for safety inside and around the facility as well as problems that will arise from locating a sludge facility near Viewfield Rd.
Agenda:
http://crd.bc.ca/agendas/corea
Reports (May):
http://crd.bc.ca/reports/corea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
- John explains how the CRD's choice to use McLoughlin Pt. will have ramifications for safety inside and around the facility as well as problems that will arise from locating a sludge facility near Viewfield Rd.
Agenda:
http://crd.bc.ca/agendas/corea
Reports (May):
http://crd.bc.ca/reports/corea
CRD SEWAGE NEWS
VIDEO OF MAYOR DESJARDINS AT CRD MEETING
www.youtube.com/watch?v=
- CRD Director Desjardins (Mayor of Esquimalt) reacts to the CRD staff's assertion that the Province of BC has the ultimate authority to rezone property in Esquimalt for the purpose of building sewage treatment facilities under an approved Liquid Waste Management Plan.
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SEWAGE OPEN HOUSE LEAVES ESQUIMALT RESIDENTS COLD
CINDY E. HARNETT
TIMES COLONIST
MAY 24, 2013
Longtime Esquimalt resident David Scudmore was shaking his head in dismay Thursday night as he left an open house on the proposed rezoning of McLoughlin Point for a sewage-treatment megaproject.
The open house, hosted by the Capital Regional District, was advertised as an opportunity for Esquimalt residents to obtain information, ask questions and provide comments on the proposed rezoning.
Scudmore left disappointed having expected to see design models — something that would tell him what the sewage facility would look like and what he was spending his tax dollars on. “There’s nothing to show what it will look like,” Scudmore, 65, said. “I agree with the plant [for treatment], but I hope they’ll put it underground.”
Many other longtime residents read the information available but felt the process was, as 62-year-old resident Eleanor Calder said: “A show and tell and not a real consultation.”
Ron Merk said the plans and even the rezoning were a “foregone conclusion.”
And while he and others strongly support secondary sewage treatment for the capital region, they can’t think of a worse place than McLoughlin Point for a wastewater treatment plant, and the residential area of Viewfield Road for the biosolids facility.
“I’m not one of those ‘Stop a Bad Plan’ people. I’m just a resident of Esquimalt, and the more I read and see about this plant, the more I can’t help but think it will be a disaster for the capital region,” Merk said.
“The CRD seems completely driven on accepting this plan and going forward, despite the feedback they are getting,” Merk added.
On Wednesday, the CRD board at an in-camera meeting voted to push the project forward — due to cost and time concerns — deciding to put the proposed McLoughlin Point treatment plant out for construction bids before Esquimalt council has ruled on whether to rezone the land to allow a plant.
A staff report said federal and provincial funding for the project, budgeted at $783 million, requires work to be completed by 2018.
But by not waiting, the CRD won’t be able to include Esquimalt’s planned design guidelines for the oceanfront sewage plant, said Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins. The CRD had asked Esquimalt to draft guidelines in response to fierce community opposition to the proposal.
Deane Strongitharm of City Spaces Consulting, who was at the open house Thursday, said the concerns and input of residents were received during a design workshop in mid-April and were included in design guidelines.
Esquimalt resident Monty Locke, 54, isn’t so sure their voices have been heard. “They’re moving ahead whether we provide useable input or not,” Locke said.
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SEWAGE PLAN PLOWS AHEAD DESPITE ESQUIMALT REBUKE
ROB SHAW
TIMES COLONIST
MAY 22, 2013
Greater Victoria’s sewage treatment megaproject barrelled forward Wednesday after a closed-door meeting of regional politicians reaffirmed a tight new timeline that won’t wait for Esquimalt’s approval.
The Capital Regional District board voted in-camera to push the project forward due to cost concerns, meaning it will put the proposed McLoughlin Point treatment plant out for construction bids before Esquimalt council has decided whether to rezone the land to allow a plant.
A CRD staff report, written by interim project director Jack Hull, warned any delays could increase costs and put federal and provincial funding at risk. So the CRD will “presume approval of the rezoning application by Esquimalt,” Hull wrote.
That brought a sharp rebuke from Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, who accused the CRD of making a mockery of its promise to consult with the community and wait for Esquimalt’s approval.
“I question this because I feel betrayed in how this is going forward,” Desjardins said.
“They are presuming a [rezoning] process that won’t get a fair chance because of what they’re doing.”
The CRD says it will issue a request for proposals on the McLoughlin plant on July 5. The earliest Esquimalt could decide on rezoning would be September, the CRD report said.
CRD sewage committee chairwoman Denise Blackwell said the request can be amended in coming months but for now “the timing is getting critical so we can’t wait.”
The staff report said federal and provincial funding for the project, budgeted at $783 million, means work must be complete by 2018.
A legal showdown with Esquimalt could force the CRD to ask the province to override the township.
The CRD argues the McLoughlin industrial site is already approved. Under the Environmental Management Act, in the event of a conflict between a municipal bylaw and an approved waste management plan, the latter prevails — “the municipality can’t frustrate an approved liquid waste management plan,” Blackwell said. “If they say no to the rezoning then … the province will have to say that’s contrary to the act.”
In the May 14 provincial election, candidates from all parties said they wouldn’t advocate for the province to force rezoning.
By not waiting, the CRD won’t be able to include Esquimalt’s planned design guidelines for the ocean-front sewage plant, said Desjardins. The CRD had asked Esquimalt to draft guidelines in response to fierce community opposition to a sewage plant.
The CRD set out a schedule of public open houses in June to talk about a proposed biosolids energy plant on Viewfield Road in Esquimalt. That location is also unpopular in the community because it is close to homes and schools.
In a statement, the CRD said it will decide after the open houses whether to build on Viewfield or revert to its original plan to put the biosolids facility at Hartland landfill in Saanich.
Desjardins said she has no faith the CRD will listen to the public on Viewfield, based on the “scare tactics” it used to push McLoughlin forward.
“There’s no respect for the municipal process,” Dejsardins said.
CRD MOVING AHEAD WITH PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BIOSOLIDS FACILITY
CFAX
May 22, 2013 04:07
The CRD board has voted to move forward with public consultation focusing on two potential spots for a biosolids facility plant.
The CRD will host seven open houses next month examining the pros and cons of building the plant at either the Hartland landfill or a Viewfield Road site in Esquimalt.
Sewage committee chair Denise Blackwell says a number of locations were considered: "Well, unfortunately most of the discussion of the sites was in-camera, and alot of the potential sites have non-disclosure agreements between the proposed vendor and ourselves, so we're not allowed to release those."
The CRD has also announced a request for proposals for design and construction work on the McLoughlin Point treatment plant will be issued on July 5.
http://www.cfax1070.com/News/
CFAX
May 22, 2013 04:07
The CRD board has voted to move forward with public consultation focusing on two potential spots for a biosolids facility plant.
The CRD will host seven open houses next month examining the pros and cons of building the plant at either the Hartland landfill or a Viewfield Road site in Esquimalt.
Sewage committee chair Denise Blackwell says a number of locations were considered: "Well, unfortunately most of the discussion of the sites was in-camera, and alot of the potential sites have non-disclosure agreements between the proposed vendor and ourselves, so we're not allowed to release those."
The CRD has also announced a request for proposals for design and construction work on the McLoughlin Point treatment plant will be issued on July 5.
http://www.cfax1070.com/News/
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BLACKWELL ON CFAX AUDIO INTERVIEW
Richard says:
Here's the Denise Blackwell clip from Frank Stanford's Interview on CFAX:
http://stopabadplan.ca/media/
Frank grills her over the public engagement process and what's to come given today's press release.
The most interesting comment comes at 19m00s when Blackwell acknowledges that Viewfield is NOT part of Amendment No.8 and will have to be considered as part of Amendment No.9 which the incoming Minister of Environment will have to approve.
This is 100% correct as I told the commission last month.
It is also in direct conflict with the CRD's earlier statement that said they had the authority to approve all LWMP amendments in the March 20th background documents which they have now pulled from their website:
http://stopabadplan.ca/docs/
http://stopabadplan.ca/media/
Frank grills her over the public engagement process and what's to come given today's press release.
The most interesting comment comes at 19m00s when Blackwell acknowledges that Viewfield is NOT part of Amendment No.8 and will have to be considered as part of Amendment No.9 which the incoming Minister of Environment will have to approve.
This is 100% correct as I told the commission last month.
It is also in direct conflict with the CRD's earlier statement that said they had the authority to approve all LWMP amendments in the March 20th background documents which they have now pulled from their website:
http://stopabadplan.ca/docs/
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LETTERS
SLUDGE PLANT WOULD TAKE TOLL ON PROPERTY VALUES (McCarvill)
TIMES COLONIST
MAY 26, 2013
When the Capital Regional District conducted its preliminary study on Hartland as a site for a plant to recover methane from sewage and household garbage, it anticipated the smell would be “severe to extreme.”
The study calculated that nearby properties would lose up to 25 per cent of their value.
There are few homes near Hartland, but Vic West and Saanich along the Gorge are as densely populated as any area in the region.
If a thousand homes lose an average of $100,000 each, residents will be shorn of a billion dollars in equity, and Victoria, Saanich and Esquimalt will lose more than $5 million annually in property taxes as new assessments come in.
These individual losses will total more than the projected cost for the entire regional sewage system.
Aside from serious safety and public-health considerations around putting a sludge plant in the heart of a residential area, some genuine consideration must be given to economic and social concerns now, not after the foundations are already poured on Viewfield Road.
Rob McCarvill
Victoria
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/sludge-plant-would-take-toll-on-property-values-1.230536
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ASK FOR MORE TIME ON SEWAGE PLAN (Callahan)
TIMES COLONIST
MAY 26, 2013
Re: “Sewage plan plows ahead despite Esquimalt rebuke,” May 23.
Wading into the sewer debate is no fun. We are sharply divided into three camps with no consensus in sight.
There are those who think the present system is working fine, those who want to do something but believe we haven’t got the right plan and those who want to barrel ahead with the current proposal lest we lose government funding. And animosities are increasing, particularly since Esquimalt, the municipality most affected by the present plan, is deeply opposed to it.
Proceeding under these circumstances is foolhardy. Surely, the Capital Regional District can get agreement from the federal and provincial governments to give us more time.
A real community consultation process can be undertaken with opposing scientific studies put under the microscope. Alternatives from other communities well ahead of us in these matters can be thoroughly examined, including their experience with smaller, decentralized plants.
Politicians, weary of this debate, may resist such suggestions, but at their peril. Without at least some measure of community consensus, this issue promises to sink inter-municipal co-operation, alienate and enrage many citizens, and jeopardize the development of a first-rate sewage treatment system.
Marilyn Callahan
Victoria
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/ask-for-more-time-on-sewage-plan-1.230535
WE GET MORE SPIN ON SEWAGE PROJECT (Spencer)
TIMES COLONIST
MAY 22, 2013
Re: “Panel approves $50,000 for sewage PR,” May 18.
Chairwoman Brenda Eaton says: “We are a panel of experts and we deal in facts, and our intention will be to put out basic information.”
This panel is already being paid a considerable sum to be the experts, so why do they need more advice or need to spend more money to get “basic information?” It’s not a lack of basic information that is the problem.
There’s plenty of that supplied by scientists and on the ARRESST website. It’s the selective way in which the Capital Regional District committee is attending to it and the rest of the information available.
More money. More spin. When will this stop?
Anne Spencer
Victoria
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