DELTA, B.C. – July 18,
2012 – Today, Canada’s Environment Minister,
the Honourable Peter Kent, and Minister
of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities,
the Honourable Denis Lebel, announced that
the Government of Canada has established
an important safeguard for the country’s
water quality, by implementing Wastewater
System Effluent Regulations.
“We want water that
is clean, safe and plentiful for future
generations of Canadians to enjoy,” said
Minister Kent. “Through these Regulations,
we are addressing one of the largest sources
of pollution in our waters. We’ve set the
country’s first national standards for sewage
treatment. These standards will reduce the
levels of harmful substances deposited to
surface water from wastewater systems in
Canada.”
“Safe and reliable wastewater
infrastructure is essential to ensuring
the health and well-being of families, residents
and local business,” said Minister Lebel.
“These Regulations will contribute to Canada’s
economic future and help to protect the
environment.”
The Government of Canada
worked with provinces and territories, and
also engaged municipalities, to finalize
these regulations. It is expected that about
75 percent of existing wastewater systems
already meet the minimum secondary wastewater
treatment standards in the Regulations.
Communities and municipalities that meet
the standards will not need to make upgrades
to their systems. The other 25 percent will
have to upgrade to at least secondary wastewater
treatment.
“These standards will
ensure untreated and under-treated sewage
are not dumped in our country’s waterways,”
said Minister Kent. “The estimated benefits
to Canadians and our economy include improving
fish and aquatic systems health, and increasing
safety for recreational activities that
are part of our tourism industry.”
For the wastewater systems
that do not meet the new standards, there
will be time for municipalities to plan
and budget funds to complete the upgrades.
Wastewater systems posing a high risk must
meet the new standards by the end of 2020;
those posing medium risk by the end of 2030;
and those with low risk by the end of 2040.
Owners and operators of the systems will
also need to consistently monitor and submit
reports on their effluent releases.
Improved water quality
is expected to increase property values
and reduce water supply costs for municipalities
and industry. The new effluent standards
align Canada with both the United States
and the European Union.
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Zellstoff Celgar Limited
Partnership Sentenced for the Release of
Acutely Lethal Effluent into the Columbia
River
CASTLEGAR, B.C. -- July
26, 2012 -- On July 25, 2012, Zellstoff
Celgar Limited Partnership was sentenced
in British Columbia Provincial court for
depositing acutely lethal effluent into
the Columbia River, and for other offences
under the Environmental Management Act.
The sentencing is the result of a conviction
on February 16, 2012, following an 8-day
trial.
Zellstoff Celgar Limited
Partnership was fined a total of $150,000,
and ordered to post details about the conviction
on their corporate website until July 31,
2013. The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
will receive $120 000 of the fine.
On November 19, 2008,
Environment Canada initiated and led a joint
investigation with the British Columbia
Ministry of Environment’s Conservation Officer
Service following a spill from the Zellstoff
Celgar Limited Partnership pulp mill in
Castlegar, British Columbia. The investigation
led to one charge under the federal Fisheries
Act, and a total of five charges under the
provincial Environmental Management Act.
The judgement determined that over two days
a total of 209,344,000 litres of deleterious
effluent was released into the Columbia
River. Zellstoff Celgar failed to comply
with permit requirements following discharges
in excess of their permitted limits.
Environment Canada enforcement
personnel investigate potential offences
under a number of Acts and Regulations including
the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,
1999; the Species at Risk Act (SARA); the
pollution provisions of Canada's Fisheries
Act; the Migratory Birds Act and Regulation;
and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection
and Regulation of International and Interprovincial
Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). Effective enforcement
promotes greater compliance with the legislation
and regulations that protect Canada's environment.
Environment Canada has
created a subscription service to help the
public stay current with what the Government
of Canada is doing to protect our natural
environment. Subscribing to Environment
Canada’s Enforcement Notifications is easy,
and free. Sign up today.
