Residents raise stink at capital region's proposal to spread biosolids at local landfill
Proposal covers a few weeks a year; rest of the year, biosolids to be sent to cement plant as fuel
Some residents near Saanich's Hartland landfill are upset over recent plans announced by the Capital Regional District (CRD) to spread sewage biosolids on the site for a few weeks each year.
The majority of the biosolids, made up of human sewage treated at the new McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, will be sent to a cement kiln in the Lower Mainland to be used as fuel.
It's only when the cement kiln shuts down for a month each year that the biosolids will be spread at the Hartland landfill.
The CRD says it was forced to come up with the landfill proposal due to a deadline imposed by the province.
Nikki Macdonald, a resident who lives near the landfill, says this is unacceptable.
"This came out of left field. Nobody talked to us as a community. Nobody's talked to Prospect Lake. Nobody's talked to the Tsartlip Nation — this is their traditional lands," Macdonald said.
Don Tom, chief of the Tsartlip First Nation, said he only found out about the proposal through the media.
Treated biosolids have been controversial because some may contain contaminants like metal compounds and pharmaceuticals. There was even a prohibition of spreading biosolids on land in the district introduced in 2011 due to fears around contamination of water systems and agricultural land.
"We don't know today what kind of mischief that's going to create for the people who live around there, for the people who use that area, for the birds, animals, even for the ocean, because it's so close to Tod Inlet," Macdonald said.
The CRD, however, says the material will be thoroughly treated at the wastewater treatment plant to eliminate any contaminants.
Glenn Harris, senior manager of the CRD's environmental protection team, issued a statement saying the practice is safe.
"Across Canada, public regulators have reviewed the scientific research and data and have concluded that land application of biosolids is safe," his statement read.
Given the timeline of the construction of the treatment plant, the CRD says the biosolids dispersal won't start for at least a few more years.
Despite the assurances, Macdonald has started a petition to get the provincial government to pause the project and allow the CRD to come up with a better plan.
"We'd like to see them delay, go back, do their homework, and come up with an alternative," she said.
Listen to the segment on CBC's All Points West:
With files from All Points West