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08/27/2010: "B.C. Movement On Dumping Sewage"

(Minister Barry Penner with American sportsfisherman on Dean River -env.gov.bc.ca photo)

The B.C. government has at last bowed to legal and public pressure, and passed a “wastewater management strategy” to treat sewage before it is released into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Environment Minister Barry Penner announced the new “strategy” is “for the first time treat up to 40 billion litres of sewage per year before it is discharged into the Strait of Juan de Fuca,”



As might be expected, politicians are lining up to comment and take at least some credit for the action coming out of B.C., with Kevin Ranker giving quotes to multiple media outlets, and Jeff Morris sending out a press release noting he has had “years of conversations” with B.C. officials.

But the real credit goes to the NGOs (non government organizations) in B.C. and in the San Juans who have for years kept the pressure on by lawsuits and publicity.

Just to put the B.C. action into a local perspective, Guardian columnist Gordy Peterson in particular has had some influence, and the Island Guardian highlighted the work in trenches when we started to run stories about the lack of action by the B.C. government in early 2005.

The first report stated BC May Have Known Sewage Dumping Harmful.

That report was quickly followed by a report highlighting the legal actions by the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, and the Georgia Strait Alliance about "Victoria's Dirty Secret: BC Government Thwarted Effort To Upgrade Sewage Facilities" /font>, which simply stated, was they were -and aredumping billions of gallons of sewage a year into the waters shared by San Juan County and B.C.

Christianne Wilhelmson, the Executive Director of the GSA (Georgia Strait Alliance) sent the Island Guardian an email on Thursday stating: “We at GSA are proud to have been a voice for responsible sewage management in the last 20 years, and we look forward to 2016, when Victoria’s shameful dumping of raw sewage will finally come to an end.” javascript:sizer('more_text',%20'l'%20);

She also noted that “the province’s approval of Victoria’s plan for sewage treatment is truly something to celebrate. This is a plan 40 years in the making and it was created thanks to the work of community groups and leaders throughout the region.”

Giving credit where credit is due, Gordy Peterson wrote a column called 04/19/2005: Weapons of Mass Pollution /font>, made a short video and posted in on Facebook (no longer available), which resulted in the Victoria Times Colonist running a story about the problem, quoting Peterson stating:

"The way we treat our sewage here in the San Juans is a source of pride for all of us. We just wish that our neighbors ... would feel the same national pride in their treatment of the environment. I feel Victoria is one of our most beautiful cities in the world but I can't go there anymore because I don't agree with dumping raw sewage in our pristine waters."

In 2008 the pressure was building for some movement, and then -at last- it was decided by the officials to have 02/20/2008: "BC Pump Some Money Into Sewage Treatment" .

That brings us up to date, with a promise from B.C. that the new “strategy incorporates resource recovery, conservation and innovation and allows the regional district to start the implementation phase of the wastewater management strategy and to meet its commitment to provide sewage treatment by 2016.”

The Capital Regional District (CRD) plans to treat its current sewage flows at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt. After 2030, incremental sewage flows would be treated at a separate facility,. A biosolids processing facility (energy centre) will be also be constructed at a landfill.

The CRD will be required to monitor quality and volumes of wastewater discharged through the outfalls and must continue to assess the impact of the discharge to the ocean to determine the need for further treatment in the future.

Minister Barry Penner is also encouraging the regional district to continue to consult with the public and First Nations to ensure they are fully informed of the wastewater strategy.

So, progress.