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DAM-L [right-to-water] Canadian Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal vows to protectseas (fwd)
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Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 05:48:59 -0600
Subject: [right-to-water] Canadian Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal vows to protect seas
To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Message-ID: <200111280553250.SM00238@mail.iatp.org>
Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 11/28/2001 By mritchie@iatp.org
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Dhaliwal vows to protect seas
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Tue 27 Nov 2001
MONTREAL (CP) -- Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal committed best intentions
but no new money Monday to make sewage treatment a high priority and keep
the country's oceans from becoming clogged toilets.
Dhaliwal said Canada will join 107 other countries trying to heed the
warnings presented to a United Nations environmental organization holding a
series of meetings in Montreal.
While Ottawa has already increased funding and passed laws to protect its
waters, there's more work to do, Dhaliwal acknowledged during a meeting of
the Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment
and Land-based Activities.
``We can see it in terms of beach closings and contamination of
shellfish,'' he said at a news conference.
``Those old days where people thought you could just dump everything into
the ocean is simply not acceptable these days. The ocean is not a dumping
ground.''
St. John's, Nfld., Halifax, Sydney, N.S., Saint John, N.B., and Victoria
are among the coastal communities that dump raw sewage directly into the
ocean. Moncton, N.B., is a member of another group with only primary
treatment.
Dhaliwal said the federal government is trying to improve sewage treatment
by making money available to affected communities through its
infrastructure program.
But the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has failed to enforce
its own Fisheries Act when sewage pollution is present, said Laurie
MacBride, spokesman for the Nanaimo-based Georgia Strait Alliance.
``Where have they been for the last decade? But at the same time, it's
better late than never.''
MacBride advocates sewage treatment, saying she regularly gets calls from
members of the U.S. media, prompted by concerns in Washington state,
questioning the situation in Greater Victoria. ``These waters do not belong
to Victoria alone.''
MacBride believes all communities should have secondary treatment at least.
At that level of treatment, biological processes decrease the amount of
organic material in sewage, cutting back on nutrients and ammonia and some
toxins.
``Victoria will say it is not needed but it is pretty Neanderthal to have
this dilution-is-the-solution attitude in this day and age.''
Secondary treatment plants are found in a number of Island locations,
including the Saanich Peninsula, Saltspring Island, French Creek and
Campbell River.
Sewage delivers toxic substances, which may have long- term impacts, into
the marine environment. Persistent organic pollutants stay in tissues of
animals and build up through the food chain, MacBride said.
The issue of sewage pollution figured prominently in two reports discussed
at the meeting.
One was a federal government report released Monday to outline Canada's
progress since the global program began in 1995. Sewage topped the list of
high priorities for every region of the country.
The other report, compiled by an international group of scientists, called
for governments to act fast to address sewage-related environmental
problems. The scientists warned ``the economic costs of failing to take
action to control land-based activities are enormous.''
Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, who sits on the Capital Regional District
board, defends the minimal treatment in this open coastal area saying
critics ``do not appreciate the situation we have here, with the fast, deep
cold salt water.''
A huge scientific report shows there is minimal impact on the environment,
he said. ``Herb Dhaliwal needs to talk to (Victoria MP) David Anderson more
often. David Anderson understands the situation.''
The CRD has introduced higher levels of treatment where it is needed, he
said. For example, the Saanich Peninsula has ``first-class'' treatment with
its plant.
The region is targeting the source of pollutants by cracking down on what
goes down the drain, Leonard said. ``It's going to be enhanced
incrementally.''
v
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