Nobody is objecting to upgrading the water treatment plant [“Letters: New system necessary,” March 14, “Letters: Wastewater aesthetics a concern,” March 21].
They have made an assumption that it is only a “Not in my back yard” reason, however, in addition to concerns about environment, there are a myriad of reasons for concerns about the location.
Concerned residents want to upgrade the plant and move it to a location away from all neighbourhoods. There are parcels of land owned by City of Powell River that would serve as a better location for this plant.
What was the process that changed the original transfer site location approved by the city and Ministry of the Environment to the golf course lands?
Regarding odour, nothing has proven there will not be any smell. All sewage plants have odour, whether they are state-of-the-art or not, and the proposed plant is not state-of-the-art.
Ministry of Environment in Saskatchewan mitigated its risks of odour by creating buffer zones of 300 metres from the nearest residence to their plant, regardless of pressure from outside sources, including developers. Our closest residents will be 95 metres away from the plant.
As to the majority of residents being satisfied with the location of the plant, there are 40 to 50 people spilling into and standing in the hallway listening to thoroughly investigated concerns every time a delegation presents information on the plant during council meetings at city hall. There are many concerned residents.
Other coastal communities are taking back their oceanfront areas from industry. Municipal governments are seeing the potential of developing their oceanfront away from industrial/institutional purposes.
"Coastal by Nature" is our brand to attract tourists to our coastal town. How does the location of a wastewater treatment plant on the Townsite coast promote that?
Aesthetics of the plant are a concern for everyone, including digging up Willingdon Beach Trail in order for the sewage to be piped into it.
A five-acre footprint is a large imprint on any land in a neighbourhood. Have there been any actual costs or future operating costs revealed to taxpayers of Powell River? No. Shouldn't this happen before any decisions to move forward are made?
Powell River's declaration of the right to a healthy environment in October 2015 states that every resident has the right to live in a healthy environment, including the right to breathe clean air, know about pollutants and contaminants released into the local environment and participate in decision-making that will affect the environment.
The wastewater treatment plant must go ahead, however, doesn't it make sense to put it somewhere away from all neighbourhoods, if possible?
Stephanie Miller is Townsite resident concerned about the location of the new wastewater treatment plant.
