So untreated sewage is entering the Welland River from a pipe at McMaster Avenue, so what? And who cares?
Barry Fitzgerald, 491 Deere St., cares. Cares enough to write Environment Minister Jim Bradley about the matter. Cares enough to write a letter to the editor, urging people to take an interest in environmental issues such as this.
Fitzgerald's own interest did not go by unnoticed or unrecognized. Bradley responded with a letter of his own - commending the Wellander for his interest in environmental issues and assuring him that the problem would be resolved, and soon.
Discharge entering the river from McMaster Avenue isn't an overnight problem. As Bradley says in his letter, it "has a long history" - one which, it would seem, has been neglected by the city, which seems to have been slow to act to rectify the problem.
Bradley told Fitzgerald the Ministry of the Environment and the city have had negotiations on the issue. The ministry, it seems, requested connection of the sewer outfall to the Welland Water Pollution Control Plant because the discharge into the river was contrary to the Environmental Protection Act.
Bradley explained the negotiations were fruitless, the connection had not been made and ministry staff recently recommended the city be ordered to make the connection.
"The order is presently being finalized, "Bradley wrote.
The city is now taking steps to correct the problem and it will be about two months before the required connection is made and the problem rectified, the city's engineer said. Fortunately, the discharges pose no danger to health but still, the concentration of sewage in waste entering the river is higher than ministry guidelines allow.
There may be mitigating circumstances on the city's side but still, we think it unfortunate that an order from the ministry of the environment was needed to spur some action.
From our vantage point, the municipality has ended up with some rather embarrassing egg on its face. For example, why has the issue come to light as the result of Fitzgerald's letter to Bradley and the minister's letter of reply?
We think this ought to be given a full airing in council chambers tomorrow so the story is known in its entirity.
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last updated on April 28, 2002
