Last quarter my group and I chose to do a project on the pros and cons of implementing sewage treatment in Victoria. Our research led us to realize that there just isn't a lot of information out there. The CRD has a dedicated site fo this topic and when you go to "Educational Materials" there aren't any! It tells me how I can reduce/improve my own waste water discharge, but that's about it.
It's been such a touch and go topic; it's been in the news, then it disappears; people are on side with the plans and people aren't. But where do we get this information to make these choices? Dig deep on the CRD website and you might find a copy of the report by the Society and Environmental Toxicology and Chemisty (here's the link).
After digging up whatever information we could about the project I feel I am informed enough to make my own decisions as to how this 'situation' should be dealt with. I won't express my opinion on that, but I will express my opinion on how this whole process has been carried out.
Today in the Times Colonist the sewage treatment issue resurfaced because the CRD has purchased a $6.5 million peice of land near UVic to house a future wastewater treatment plant. As an informed citizen I would like to have the right to be intricately involved in this process. I feel that it may be in the best interest of the CRD to try a very community involved approach they will be fighting NIMBY'ers all the way through. I am thinking back to my community involvement essay and how so little of the typical community engagment techiques have been utilized. The biggest flaw is that there has been little or no education to an extent where people can make informed choices. I know there is a committee for this process made up of various politicians whom I had a part in electing, but what about the rest of the community? Well thankfully, Judy Brownoff has suggested a community advisory group. I think this is a great step to getting the community informed and involved; here's hoping it comesto fruition.
Though the decision for whether or not we need sewage treatment has been made, the decision for how/where it is implemented, what we should be doing with biosolids and whether there is potential for energy production should be something that they entire community of the CRD helps to decide.
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