Georgina needs consultant on lake sewage plan: Wheeler

By Heidi Riedner YorkRegion.com Jan 17, 2013

Georgina’s deputy mayor wants the town to hire its own consultants to examine the effects of a proposed sewage treatment plant in Queensville emptying into Lake Simcoe.

He made the statement after a presentation by a local watershed watchdog in support of the Upper York Sewage Solution Monday at council.

Danny Wheeler registered a little “surprise” the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, the agency viewed as the guardian of the lake and watershed, was coming out in support of the scientific data conducted by the Region of York’s consultants under the environmental assessment component of the UYSS project.

“If this council wants to remain opposed to this project, we’d better get ourselves another consultant,” he said.

That came on the heels of an extensive presentation by Mike Walters, the general manager of watershed management for the LSRCA, updating council on the agency’s review of scientific models and research conducted to date.

While concerns surrounding the effects of water temperature and erosion are still under examination, Mr. Walters said there are no major negative environmental impacts associated with the project when it comes to issues under the agency’s mandate of water quantity and quality.

He referred to the technology being employed, in the form of membrane filtration and reverse osmosis, as the key component of the made-in-York solution to growth in East Gwillimbury, Newmarket and Aurora and the reason why the reclamation centre will perform the best out of the 15 sewage treatment plants currently emptying into either the lake or its river tributaries.   

While Mr. Wheeler said he had no issue with the thoroughness of the LSRCA’s peer review of the scientific findings, he suggested town staff could examine how much it would cost and who could perform an independent review on behalf of the municipality.

“This needs to be worked out and brought forward,” he said.

Councillors Dave Szollosy and Phil Craig agreed, registering their own lingering concerns over a number of issues, including the process of review, whether all research data has been included and phosphorus trading offsets.

Both also questioned if the long-term health effects on human and aquatic life of emptying 47 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage in to Lake Simcoe by 2031, whether dilluted by the lake’s overall volume as contended, had been fully examined. 

“The technology may be better, but is it good enough?” asked Councillor Craig in regard to pharmaceuticals and personal care products making their way into Lake Simcoe, albeit in minute parts per billion.  

“There are still some huge questions regarding potential impacts.”

Ward 5 Councillor Brad Smockum wondered, however, whether Georgina would be “re-inventing the wheel” with its own independent review, with two extensive environmental assessments already on the table and a third being conducted by the Chippewas of Georgina Island.

Mayor Rob Grossi, who also sits on the LSRCA board with Councillor Craig, also took issue with the impression council was opposed to the project.

He cautioned putting the Lake Simcoe alternative under “intense scrutiny” didn’t necessarily equate to opposition, adding the town has never registered a formal position in support or against the project.

A staff report examining potential candidates to conduct an independent peer review and associated costs will be brought back to council for deliberation.

To examine full details of the LSRCA’s staff report on its peer review to date, visit www.lsrca.on.ca and click on the Upper YorkSewage Solutions & LSRCA link.