This release is from the Vernon & Districts Taxpayers Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2007

Re: City of Vernon's Operational Certificate to allow the discharge of surplus treated effluent into Okanagan Lake:
The Ministry of the Environment has issued a notice of their intention to change the City's Operational Certificate to allow the discharge of surplus treated effluent into Okanagan Lake. What does the Ministry mean by 'surplus' and who will decide what is surplus? And why is the Ministry ignoring the Supreme Court ruling which imposes strict rules before any discharge can be made? It becomes obvious that their proposed change will give the City permission to discharge at will, for who will supervise their actions? This is another example of the abrogation of real responsibility, for after all is not the Ministry's mandate to ensure that all waterbodies are uncontaminated especially if they are used for drinking water?

It's no good saying that the sewage plant cleans sewage to the point where it is fit to drink, one only thinks back to the breakdown of the plant in Kelowna which resulted in the infection of 15000 residents with cryptosporidium, hushed up of course but well documented. There are Canadian examples which demonstrated the vulnerability of drinking water which resulted in many deaths and serious illness. So the question is " should the Ministry allow such discharges without adequate controls in place?" Clearly the answer is NO. The City administration keeps bleating the same old hackneyed phrase "that we are committed to the spray irrigation program", yet the Commonage available lands are shrinking. The area which was to be used for concentrated disposal lies fallow, the pumps now unused. It is time again for the people of Vernon and those downstream to bombard the Ministry of the Environment with letters and objections to the proposed amendment to the City permit. We have to tell them that there shall be no discharge without adequate controls and strict supervision by persons who are not City employees or part of City Council.

Alan Hill, from Save Our Lakes Society, met some time ago with Leon Gous at which meeting Mr. Gous stated that the Supreme Court ruling would be adhered to--to the letter. Shortly after, the City made application to change the permit. Draw your own conclusions and decide how much trust can be placed in the administration and decide if these are the people you want to look after the health of your drinking water.

Contact: Alan Hill 545-1648