hd a4 News TheReview Wednesday, April 18,1990 — A3 Prove sewage sludge is harmful to ocean — mayors by Valorie Lennox The Review Prove it. Sidney and Central’ Saanich Mayors Norma Sealey and Ron Cullis challenged the Capital Regional District to prove the sludge dumped from Peninsula sewage treatment plant outfalls is harmful — before required upgrading of the three plants is approved. “It’s not that we question doing the right thing, but if we tell the taxpayers that were putting out $1.2 million or whatever, we need to know there is a reason, not justa bureaucratic whim,” Sealey said April 10 at a meeting between regional district representatives and the three Peninsula councils. The waters surrounding the Sid- ney plant outfall are normal with no sign of sediment or effect on marine life, Sealey. added. Cullis said he had tried unsuc- cessfully for five years to get some environmental justification for upgrading the plant. “If we have a pothole in the Toad, we fix it. Do we have a pothole or not?” he asked. The Ministry of the Environ- Ment, spurred by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is now requiring all three plants to meet the terms of the plant permits by removing sewer sludge from the discharge. But Cullis said the Ministry officials have just quoted regula- tions to the municipalities and ONE OF SEVERAL hot rods that frequent Sidney streets. VALLEY Continued from Page Al be developed,” Hunter said. Planning and zoning committee chairman Ald. Arlene Box said a complete plan‘ of the area will be completed before any development es place. Some residents on the south slope of Mt. Newton have indicat- ed a willingness to subdivide and develop residential units. In an interview, Box said it will be a long time before a process to develop the Mt. Newton is begun and the new society will have a part in the process. “There are major servicing implications,” Box said. “A lot of things have to fall into place.” Currently, water service to the area is limited and won’t be solved until a new water reservoir is constructed. Also, an expensive sewer truck main would have to be installed! Although the second draft of the official community plan includes reference to development cost charges as an option for financing services to the area, past and present councils have not support- ed the system for off-site servicing agreements, Box said. In a development cost charge system, the municipality borrows money required to service an area with a plan for recovery from a lot charge in the specified area. “Central Saanich has said in the past that we don’t front costs for anything and there is no intention that would change,” Box said. The second draft of the com- munity plan is “fairly close to what we will be considering (for adoption),’” Box said. “Depending on public hearings and how people respond to what we've done, we should be moving along fairly quickly,” she said. Following a requirement under the Municipal Act, a as a courtesy, the draft plan is being given to the neighboring municipalities of North Saanich, Saanich and Lang- ford electoral district, with a three- week time period to offer com- ment. Public hearings are in the pro- cess of being scheduled for some- time in May. Once the official community plan is completed, council will direct planners to proceed with preparation of local area plans, Box said. ¢ Commitment to quality * Proven marketing strategy ; « On-going support BUSINESS/RETAIL OPPORTUNITY Color Your World Corp, the largest home decorating chain in Canada, with over 250 locations and 60 years experience has more to offer to the Independent Retailer. * Comprehensive Training Program We are aggressively seeking enthusiastic individuals interest- ed in) an Authorized Dealership in your area. Please contact Bob Skinner at 1-604-437-0401 or. by mail at 4 COLOR YOUR WORLD 2950 SE Marine Drive Vancouver B.C. have not joined in helping find a solution or proving a problem exists. “The Ministry of Environment has really done nothing else other than wave the good red book of standards,” Cullis said. “Until we get some positive input from the Ministry of Environment there is going to be a tremendous reluc- tance to adhere to any standards.” North Saanich Mayor Linda Michaluk supported the sludge de-watering recommended by the regional district but wants the Bazan Bay plant adapted to also handle septic tank waste. Otherwise, North Saanich may be drawn into contributing to a future upgrade of Victoria’s outfall where most of the North Saanich septic tank waste is now dumped. The regional district recom- mends each municipality install an in-plant de-watering press capable of reducing sludge to 10 per cent solid, then use the sludge as ferti- lizer on agricultural land which is not used to produce food. Other disposal options are using sludge as fertilizer in forestry or, as an emergency back-up, dumping the sludge in the Hartland landfill. “Tf it’s bad in the sea environ- ment, how do we know it’s not bad in the land environment?” Sealy asked. All three municipalities are fac- ing an expensive upgrade, Sealy noted. According to a January 1990 report, capital costs for Sid- ney will be $817,000 plus $94,000 in annual operating costs; Central Saanich will pay $691,000 in capi- tal costs plus $80,000 in annual operating costs and North Saanich will pay $260,000 in capital costs plus $30,000 in annual operating costs. Before the municipalities spend the money, both Sealy and Cullis want assurance from the Ministry of the Environment that the upgrade will meet present and future Ministry requirements. Frank Leonard, chairman of the regional district's environmental committee, predicted environmen- tal standards will become more stringent. Last month the Greater Vancouver Regional District was ordered by the environment minis- try to incorporate secondary sew- age treatment at its plants, despite an estimated cost of $1.2 billion, he said. Michaluk said waiting until the sewage discharge causes a prob- Jem will cost more than acting now. All of the plants are not meeting the requirements of their ‘permits and must be upgraded, she said. De-watering is the first step in removing the sewage sludge from the outfalls. Jim Sandwith of Woodwyn Farms plans to work with the regional district on a pilot project to apply the de-watered sludge to 150 acres of his 200-acre Central Saanich farm. This year the farm spent $14,000 on fertilizer, Sandwith said. He sees the sludge project as a chance to use the material locally to enrich the soil on the farm. North Saanich Ald. Maurice Chazottes said using the sludge as fertilizer is a form of recycling. In the Midwest United States, there is a major business based on selling de-watered and’ treated sludge as fertilizer. “There must be millions of people putting it on gardens,” he said. The municipalities are dump- ing a useful soil conditioner into the ocean, he said. “Could we, down the line, be selling this stuff, suitably de- watered?” he asked. Michaluk said the sludge adds nutrients to the ocean environ- ment, which may not need the additional enrichment. “Nobody can gauge exactly what the impact 1S North Saanich Ald. Rebecca Vermeer said the ocean does not need the additional nutrients and applauded use of the sludge for fertilizer, especially for forest lands as is done in Seattle. Regional district senior environ- mental engineer Tom Lidkea said the sludge de-watering and use as fertilizer has been proven effective in other areas. The proposed pilot project will adapt the process to local conditions. Although Cullis applauded San- dwith’s courage in participating in the pilot project, he did not want to see the Peninsula municipalities used as guinea pigs by the regional district to test the process, an opinion echoed by Central Saa- nich Ald. Arlene Box. All three municipal councils have approved the regional district proposal in principle, but Sealy reiterated the need for more infor- mation. “We're not buying a pig in a poke. We want to know we’re buying an environmental improve- ment,” she said. APRIL _—speciauizine| Ss A LE IN CUSTOM: Ne Drapes + Bedspreads I: ° Blinds Ni5° Upholstery + Silk Flower ij; Arrangements - AVANT GARDE INTERIOR. 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