PRESS RELEASE – April 7^th, 2010

McGuinty Government Risks Serious Harm to Lake Ontario Drinking Water Quality, ORM Aquifers and Public Health by catering to York Region Developers and approving York’s Big Sewer Pipe

“It is clear to the residents of Pickering … that the Province regards the City of Pickering as York Region’s toilet” states community group Stop the Stink.

The Rouge Duffins Greenspace Coalition asks “Why would a government that trumpets its support for modern green technology, approve 30 year old sewer technology?”

The Big Pipe twinning (York Durham Sanitary Sewer Southeast Collector) is a disastrous plan to export up to a Billion litres each day of raw sewage through underground drinking water aquifers and the Oak Ridges Moraine for treatment and discharge to our drinking water source, Lake Ontario. 

The Greater Toronto Area has growing cancer and health problems which profoundly harm all of our families and consume more and more of our tax dollars. According to respected scientists and Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, sewage plant discharges contain pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds which can trigger or promote cancer.  Toronto’s Lake Ontario shoreline is an international Great Lakes “Area of Concern” because of pollution, E.coli bacterial contamination and harm to drinking water, beaches and public uses.    Despite these problems, the McGuinty government has just given York Region the green light to build a Big Pipe (10+ foot diameter) which will discharge billions of litres of treated sewage every week into our Lake Ontario drinking water source.  

Instead of requiring modern technologies to fully treat, purify and recycle sewage within York Region, the McGuinty government is allowing York Region to spend $500+ million to export its fecal and industrial waste, water pollution, air pollution and stink to Pickering and Lake Ontario.   Why would a government that trumpets its support for modern green technology, approve 30 year old (putrid brown) technology?

Sadly, this backward thinking McGuinty government decision confirms public suspicions that wealthy developers are exerting undue influence over his government.  Developers are financing 80% of the Big Pipe’s cost to service and develop their speculative land holdings north of Toronto.

The Big Pipe foolishly transports raw human sewage through underground aquifers which supply drinking water to Aurora, Newmarket, Stouffville and York Region residents.

The Big Pipe and its feeder pipes are so out-dated and leaky that more than 50 million litres of fresh groundwater leaks into the sewer system every day.  In a time of climate change and dwindling fresh water sources, the Big Pipe wastes and exports enough drinking water for 10 million people every day.   

In 2006, Premier McGuinty created Bob Hunter Memorial Park, beside Rouge Park in Markham, to honour the memory of a Greenpeace founder and Canadian environmental hero, Bob Hunter.   In a betrayal of the principles which Bob Hunter stood for, Premier McGuinty’s government has catered to York Region developers and given approval to pipe raw sewage through the heart of BHMP. 

The current provincial Big Pipe decision fails to protect public health and safety and the approval process and project “stink” in many ways.  It is clear to the residents of Pickering and community groups “Stop the Stink” and “Rouge Duffins Greenspace Coalition” that the Province regards the City of Pickering as York Region’s toilet.

Clearly the Minister has taken too narrow a view of the goal of the project.  They are asking the wrong question – how to implement the Big Pipe rather than analyzing alternatives to the undertaking as directed by an environmental assessment. 

The Province has failed to heed the numerous concerns raised by residents of the City of Pickering, Stop the Stink and Rouge Duffins Greenspace Coalition stating that the Big Pipe will reduce quality of life for Pickering residents by releasing foul sewage odours in nearby residential areas and dumping nearly a billion litres of treated sewage into Lake Ontario, a mere 3 km from where over 100,000 Pickering and Ajax residents get their drinking water.  The residents of Pickering, Stop the Stink and Rouge Duffins Greenspace Coalition are severely disappointed that the Minister’s decision and the attached conditions provide no recourse in the event of the Big Pipe and its infrastructure’s malfunction, leaving Pickering residents completely unprotected in the event that the Big Pipe fails to operate as intended. 

The City of Pickering has hired a respected environmental lawyer to protect its citizens and environment from the odours, air pollution and water pollution associated with the Big Pipe.  The City of Pickering has already commenced one legal action against York Region on this matter.  The City of Pickering has committed itself to commence legal action against the Minister if he approved the Big Pipe without adequately addressing the City of Pickering’s concerns. As the Minister’s decision does not address the numerous concerns raised by City of Pickering, it is expected that the City of Pickering will file legal challenges against the Minister shortly.