McGUINTY GOVERNMENT JEOPARDIZING WORLD HERITAGE SITE - RUNCIMAN
(Toronto) – Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman today filed two order paper questions to the Minister of Environment in support of the construction of a new sewage treatment plant in the Village of Merrickville-Wolford. Recently the Village was turned down a fifth time for
Ontario government funding even though the Ministry of Environment has indicated that failure of the plant would result in major environmental problems.
The first question asked Minister John Gerretsen to explain why no action has been taken by the Ministry to facilitate the construction of new sewage treatment plant in the Village of Merrickville-Wolford. The Ministry had acknowledged in a letter to the Village in September 2006 that it was concerned with what appears to be inevitable tank failure and indicated that measures to address this major problem are required for the protection of the natural environment.
The second question asked the Minister to provide details of the potential damage to the Rideau River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Glencor Engineering in a May 2007 inspections report red-flagged the possibility of "catastrophic failure "of two tanks at the Village’s present sewage treatment plant.
Runciman also plans to raise the issue in the legislature during a P.C. Opposition Day debate next week. "The Mayor and Council of Merrickville-Wolford have done everything possible to plan for this project." said Runciman. “We shouldn’t have to wait for a major environmental issue to occur before the province pays for their share”.
