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Residents in Sooke are concerned about the imminent tax hikes to pay for the new sewer system. |
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Benefits from Sooke’s planned sewage system questionable result in cleaner environment by Dr. Rick Lambert to Sooke News Mirror May 16, 2001 I am concerned that the proposed "downtown" Sooke sewage system will not be an effective use of our tax dollars. Sooke core landowners are being asked to pay, in part, for a sewage system that seems not to be aimed at cleaning up the Sooke Basin or Harbour. The local council needs only comply with B.C. Law, which only requires minimal waste treatment. Our incompletely treated sewage will result in a polluting outflow. Sewage that is only partially treated will increase the nutrients our local waters have to cope with. Hello algae blooms, good-bye clear waters. It will not result in a significant environmental improvement for our local community. It may well turn out to be more polluting than the present system. We need more detailed information. There seems to be only one very skimpy study on pollutants in the harbour, basin and surrounding coastal water. This study is so simple that even the surveyor involved would not advise this data be enough for sewage and waste water planning in our growing community. This is pathetic. A sewage system should carry real health benefits, ones that can be measured through water quality monitoring. Benefits can only be demonstrated if an initial comprehensive study has been carried out. What about employing an environmental scientist to evaluate and draw up an action plan? Perhaps we can obtain a grant for this most important first step. What about some housekeeping. "Secondary" treatment of sewage, which is then pumped into the sea, is more polluting than a properly operating septic system. Why are already existing septic systems failing? I suspect there are worse areas of pollution than the "downtown" area. Is it not possible to update and monitor present systems? Some septic systems are in need of repair, yet this has not even been tried. So what is going on? The only benefit seems to be revenue for the council. There will be several clear benefits for the council in the form of tax revenue: sewage and waste water revenue; increased land and property tax will also be generated; greater density town development will also produce higher taxes (along with more effluent). Questionable benefits and higher taxes, -- guess what will happen to all of our house values? Our environment was meant to improve, not just council’s budget. Grants come and go, but they are useless to us without a management plan based on proper environmental studies. We will lose this beautiful area to sludge and slime. One could say the only reason for this sewage system is to entice land development and bring in tax revenue. If this "planned" treatment is the first stage in a more comprehensive project, let us see some of these plans and spending proposals. Please let us have view of a full study and appraisal of the stages we need. This sewage system will cost millions of dollars, so a few spent communicating with Joe Public will be money well spent. We should plan to completely control waste going into our fragile ecosystem. We want a real sewage treatment plan, a cleaner environment. |
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