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The Town of Renfrew has a brand new $30-million sewage plant that will meet its needs for years to come.
But the town was in court last week to respond to charges by the Ministry of the Environment regarding a spill at its old plant.
Solicitor Roger Harris represented the town in provincial court in Pembroke May 24, at which time the case was adjourned to October.
The town, if found guilty, could pay substantial fines, in excess of $100,000. The charges stem from the leaking of ferric chloride storage tanks at the old sewage plant in August 2008. The new plant opened in the fall of 2009.
The chemical is part of mandated treatment, to help coagulate solids and remove phosphorous from treated water, explained Renfrew development and works director Mike Asselin.
The ministry charges that the town allowed this chemical to impair the condition of the Bonnechere River. The town disputes the charges.
If found guilty, the town could face a minimum fine of $25,000 for impairing the physical condition of the river. The other charge, for failure to properly operate the sewage-treatment plant, could result in an additional fine.
Participants in the court case are the Ministry of the Environment, the ministry’s investigations unit, the Town of Renfrew and the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which is contracted by the town to operate the sewage-treatment plant.
Asselin didn’t want to offer too many details, since the case is before the courts.
But he did say the town’s “prepared to defend itself. The town was undertaking (the building of) a $30 million plant and taking measures to improve its sewage-treatment system at the time.”
The town acknowledges there was a leak of ferric chloride in the liner of a steel holding tank.
This leak entered the treatment system, but was isolated within 35 minutes, said Asselin.
He also noted treated sewage took about three hours to be conveyed through the system.
The town contests the ferric chloride did not reach the Bonnechere River in appreciable quantities, said Asselin.
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