Wastewater in the Core Municipalities
The following outlines a bit of the long term history of the Core Municipalities dumping “raw” sewage into the ocean.
For all the background papers and information go to:
In 1993 CRD Chair Frank Leonard & Board received a letter from the Provincial Government that had many key requirements but one in particular was “The province does not accept a time frame of 25 years to complete secondary treatment or the equivalent level to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We would like this date to be brought forward in your liquid waste management plan closer to 15 years”.
In the National Post of 6 December 1999 the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans commented that jail sentences and hefty fines against municipalities that discharge untreated wastewater into coastal waters could be levied.
In a letter dated May 24, 2000 from David Anderson the then MP for Victoria stated “…the Capital Regional District is actively investigating treatment options and a schedule for the implementation of treatment.”
In a letter dated Mar 25 2003 the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection, Minister Murray, “I am not satisfied that the existing monitoring program will be effective in detecting all potential impacts.” “The LWMP does not provide a plan and schedule for … treatment … which is contrary to the direction provided to you (CRD) by past ministers.”
In a letter dated July 21 2006, the Minister of Environment stated “…an independent consultant … retained by the Ministry of Environment to evaluate the CRD sediment quality data associated with the outfalls. This study found that, based on the available CRD monitoring data, contamination at the two outfalls is sufficient to warrant preliminary designation as contaminated sites under the Contaminated Sites Regulation.” “… I hereby direct the CRD Board to submit to me for approval no later than June 30, 2007 an amendment to the CRD Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan detailing a fixed schedule for the province of sewage treatment.”
The CRD has had 18 years to move forward based on a number of Provincial and Federal Governments and never did. It took an Environmental Order to move this important issue forward.