According to inquiries made to MOE (Ministry of Environment), our Regional District is one of the only entities that can prevent the dumping of contaminated soil into our watershed.
We have learned that, regardless of statements made either privately or publicly by CAO Warren Jones and various Directors, the CVRD has always had the power to put an end to this threat to our drinking water. The question is, “Will they?”
The fact that the CVRD holds the key to stopping this atrocity is not a new concept. Many members of the community have put forth the suggestion that with the creation of appropriate bylaws and enforcement of existing bylaws, the CVRD Board could exercise the powers granted to them through the Province and protect the water, the environment and the quality of life in Shawnigan Lake. These suggestions have been presented to CVRD Board members on more than one occasion.
They have been posted on multiple websites. We have engaged our MLA’s office to deliver these suggestions to our CVRD Board chair. We have tried everything short of picketing Ingram Street with small, golden-haired children and cute dogs wearing placards to get this message through.
Now, in the eleventh hour, what will the CVRD Board do? Will they start doing the very thing that they were elected to do? Will they waste more time with mumbling words of collaboration and preservation of goodwill? History rarely sheds a favorable light on collaborators!
Will they roll up their sleeves, swallow their pride and start working with the people that are trying desperately to help them? For the good of our community, let’s hope that this time political agendas are not going to trump health and safety.
Original post “How the CVRD can protect our water” posted June 30
To Dump or not to Dump found at brentatthefocus.blogspot.ca
The CVRD Can Act To Protect Shawnigan’s Watershed. But Will They? found at Cowichan Conversations by Richard Hughes
Debbie Wilson said:
I was one of the residents 12 years ago who fought contaminated soil being dump on the Malahat. Thankfully at that time we had the support of our regional director Anne Bomford, but the CVRD staff, as far as I am concerned, only did as little as possible on this issue. Oh ya they are the ones who get paid for the work they do and the rest just volunteer their time.
One thing to keep in mind as you fight the process of contaminated soil being dumped at Stebbings Road. CVRD and MOE will tell one thing and then just do what ever they want. So never believe what you hear only what you see. So visit the dump site often to make sure the soil has not already arrived.
Richard Hughes said:
Surely as night follows day the elected representatives will quit being subservient to backroom control politics and speak for, act for and vote for a sane solution to this, their latest debacle.
This post spells it clearly.
Thank you for your encouraging work.