The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) told a
delegation from Mississippi Mills town council that it was not able to say for
sure what action it could take on the issue of septage spreading.
“The Ministry was not in a position at this time to answer
our requests to deal with the issue,” said Mississippi Mills Mayor Al Lunney,
after he and three town councillors met with senior MOE staffers on May 19.
Lunney let his frustration be known to the MOE officials.
“It’s unacceptable that the people of Mississippi Mills
should have untreated septage on their fields,” said Lunney.
“It does not make sense to anyone…with all of the
environmental laws.”
He was told that the septage spreading issue was, “on the
agenda,” for the MOE.
“They did advise us to use the political route,” if they did
not like the answer, said Lunney.
He noted that provincial politicians had directed them to
contact MOE staff in the first place, and that staff was now directing them
back to the politicians.
“We’re not asking for a ban in all of the province, just in
Mississippi Mills,” said Lunney.
Late last week, Environment Minister John Gerretsen’s chief
of staff was in contact with Lunney’s office, to let them know that they would
finalize the timing of a meeting between Gerretsen and Lunney by May 25.
“We’ll continue to keep on with it,” promised Lunney. “I’ll
camp out in Toronto
if I have to.”
Lunney spoke to his council colleagues at the town’s
planning and development committee on May 20 to bring them up to date on the
developments.
“They’re very disappointed that they didn’t get approval,”
he said of his council colleague’s reactions. “They are very skeptical that
they will get a meeting with Gerretsen,” said Lunney, though he is “very hopeful.”
Lunney pointed to a letter written by Gerretsen to the town
in November of 2009, in which he said that “the province is committed to the
banning of untreated septage.”
Lunney added that Gerretsen has always favoured a more
phased in approach, and he noted that the licenses for the two septage haulers
in Mississippi Mills expire in 2013, the year after the plant is due to be up
and running.
The treatment plant project is still on track, with 11
tenders for the project due to be opened up at the municipal offices at 3 p.m.
on May 27.
“We will look at what the cost of the septage is,” said
Lunney, once the offers are opened.
Pakenham’s Bill Duncan was pleased with the news.
“It’s a good news story for taxpayers in that the Ministry
of the Environment didn’t approve it,” Duncan
said.
Duncan
charged that some area councillors wanted to ban septage spreading on fields,
“so that the taxpayers of this community wouldn’t have a choice,” but to use
the septage treatment facility.
“This is absurd. This treatment plant is a necessity for
Almonte,” though not for rural residents, said Duncan.
“Any downfall [in revenues] will come onto the rural
homeowners of this municipality…They have no regard for the rural
taxpayer.”
Duncan
alleged that the threat of a septage spreading ban was being used to get the
septage portion built.
“They won’t talk about the cost of spreading all of these
bio-solids on the soil after it has been treated,” said Duncan. “If septage is so harmful being
spread on fields, why isn’t it being banned across the province?”