Mr Floatie in Victoria

[timouse]

Decision on sewage will be science-based

Province's environment minister says 'politics, optics' won't be determining factors

Rob Shaw

Victoria Times Colonist

Saturday, October 22, 2005

British Columbia's environment minister defended Friday Greater Victoria's practice of dumping screened sewage into Juan de Fuca Strait, saying in an interview that "science" would determine when the region would treat its sewage, not, "politics" or "optics."

"I understand [sewage] been a political debate for many years in Victoria and the Capital Regional District, so we're trying to take the politics out of it and focus on the science," said Barry Penner.

When asked about secondary treatment he added: "Some people are saying 'Do it,' some people say 'Don't you dare.' And I'm saying we'll do it if the science indicates it's necessary."

The region generates 129 million litres of sewage a day. That liquid waste is pumped through six-millimetre screens to filter out solid objects before -- depending on the geographic location of the toilet -- being shot out into the ocean in pipes 1,100 metres from Clover Point or 1,830 metres from Macaulay Point.

Environmentalists say it is doing untold damage to the ocean. Penner insists that's a claim government science has yet to prove.

The minister points to the CRD's much-debated "trigger" levels for sewage, which monitor any adverse affects to marine organisms, mussels, and sea worms on the ocean floor around the two outfall sites.

If the pollution exceeds these triggers, then secondary treatment plants would be built within three years at both Macaulay and Clover points. Critics say the region may never even reach its trigger levels, because the levels are deliberately set too high.

Penner dismissed the argument, saying "I understand there will be some people who aren't satisfied, but we do want to make decisions on sound science."

He also said he has heard residents at the Macaulay Point and Clover Point outfall sites are upset at the thought of treatment plants being built in their neighbourhoods.

Any possibility of a treatment plant at Macaulay Point is expected to be a contentious issue in Esquimalt leading up to the Nov. 19 municipal election. The current council told the CRD early this month that it won't accept a sewage treatment plant on the Macaulay Point waterfront. The issue arose after the CRD requested the municipality's support for a request to Ottawa to set aside 2.9 hectares of land controlled by the Department of National Defence.

"No one seems too anxious to have a sewage treatment facility in their area and that's my point, there's a lot of politics involved," said Penner, who took over the environment portfolio June 16.

Victoria is considered by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund to be one of the worst sewage polluters in Canada.

If the rest of Canada was unaware of the nasty debate swirling around Victoria's sewage, it got a down-and-dirty refresher course courtesy of Maclean's magazine last week.

The magazine published "From sea to stinking sea," a story which looked at sewage treatment across Canada. Victoria played a central, unflattering, role.

Then the sewage problems spilled over into the international media, courtesy of the ubiquitous pro-treatment mascot Mr. Floatie (James Skwarok) whose unsuccessful bid to run for mayor of Victoria as a giant costumed piece of pooh made headlines as far away as Arizona.

"The optics aren't great," admitted Penner. "And I understand the unfavourable media attention that it does bring, but we have said we want decisions based on science so we're doing our best to monitor the environment and the ecology and to collect that data.

"We're analysing that data. We have officials assigned to this file."

The CRD estimates secondary treatment plants would cost $447 million.

Penner said there's no guarantee the province would provide any money, despite the CRD's Liquid Waste Management plan saying it would expect between one-third to one-half of the funding to come from the province.

He also said there's no guarantee the federal government would provide money, despite calls from federal Environment Minister Stephane Dion that all cities in Canada should have secondary treatment.

[StoneMtn]

The last I heard, they were talking about removing Mr. Floatie from the candidates for mayor.

He looks hilarious, though, walking around Victoria; and I definitely support his message.

(I wonder if he's related to Mr. Hankey...)

[timouse]

The last I heard, they were talking about removing Mr. Floatie from the candidates for mayor.

He looks hilarious, though, walking around Victoria; and I definitely support his message.

(I wonder if he's related to Mr. Hankey...)

from what i understand he is indeed the real life counterpart to mr hankey...and he would make a great mayor, although he seems like sort of a one issue candidate. great way to get the word out though