Healthy river ‘in the national interest’, says MP
East-end officials are predicting a cleaner, brighter future for Petrie Island and the Ottawa River, as both the city and federal government pledged millions more in funding to stop sewage overflows and clean up the local waterway last week.
The announcement of an additional $13 million by federal Environment Minister John Baird on Tuesday, Sept. 2 – made at Petrie Island, where the now-infamous 2006 overflow was linked in part to 45 no-swim advisories issued that summer – brings the total of federal aid dedicated to the overflow issue up to $33 million, and came only days after reports that nine more sewage spills have occurred in Ottawa over the past decade.
“When (Baird) talked about $20 million, he was just guessing the city would have $60 million worth of projects … he said, ‘we’re good for a third,’” explains Ottawa-Orléans MP Royal Galipeau. After meeting with city representatives and realizing the total cost to solve the sewage problem would actually land at $100 million, the “bump up” of funds was announced, he recounts.
“This is not like fixing potholes,” Galipeau continues. “Making sure the Ottawa River is healthy is in the national interest. Frankly, we’re getting a bargain just doing it for a third.”
The federal money also comes on the heels of the province publicizing a $77-million shot in the arm for Ottawa’s infrastructure late last month, and an announcement by Mayor Larry O’Brien on Wednesday, Sept. 3 that $100 million – including the $33 million of federal cash, $35 million of the provincial infrastructure investment and $32 million from the city – would be put towards the issue. While an initial investment of $30 million in total will fund the city’s first moves to stop sewage overflows, a staff report outlining investment opportunities for the remaining $70 million is expected in December.
A real-time control program is first on the list, which – according to city staff – will reduce overflows by approximately 65 per cent on average and prevent 100 per cent of unintended spills. Scheduled for completion by 2010, staff also say the program will maximize existing capacity in Ottawa’s sewage infrastructure and increase response times to spills.
“It’s our obligation to clean up the river,” says Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess, highlighting the role other communities on the Ottawa River must play.
The initial $30 million, however, will help solve the majority of the issue, he continues.
“We’re always going to have some overflow when there’s a big storm … (but) we can make tremendous progress,” Bloess adds.
Even with several additional spills now revealed, Orléans Coun. Bob Monette – whose ward includes Petrie – points to how much has been accomplished since the major 2006 overflow was uncovered four months ago.
The additional money from the feds will allow the city to get on top of the issue more quickly, Monette explains, including looking at the Keefer Gate, the downtown regulator responsible for six of nine spills since 1998.
“It shows we’re all taking (the issue) seriously,” he says of the funding commitments. “We’re not going to sit by idly anymore.”
In the end, the much-publicized 2006 spill “probably helped,” Galipeau continues. “It got people upset and got politicians to focus.
“There’s been a lot of foot-dragging on this issue, for more than 15 years. I think people were just looking the other way while the pollution kept going on and on.”