PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montreal, February 3, 2016 – The jovial assessment of the spill of 4.9 billion liters of wastewater, instead of the 8 billion initially planned, does not present information on several of the events which led to “flushgate”. The Fondation Rivières maintains its requests for information regarding the decisions taken and the efforts made to minimize the spill. She believes that the spill should have been less.
The Fondation Rivières recalls that the work was first justified to allow the development of the Riverside snowfall. The problem of removing the hangers was subsequently known and this contract was entrusted to Entreprises Michaudville. How many workers were assigned there? Were there 4 teams working simultaneously on the 4 sets of hangers to be removed, 24 hours a day? Did this contractor install the prefabricated walls simultaneously to reduce spills? Why were additional spills over four days for 9 hours made during the day, and not at night, when the sewers contain less pollution and this water came mainly from the city center? Have there been any unanticipated additional amounts allocated to speed up the work?
The City's jovial assessment focuses on elements that were already planned: low impact on water intakes, absence of dead fish, plume concentrated on the north shore, deficient communication plan, lack of social acceptability, etc. However, the report does not show an aerial image of the south shore of the Island during the spill. He mentions the recovery of only 3 cubic meters of waste, which appears unrealistic; picking teams were surely missing! It ignores several aspects and an independent report from the MDDELCC should be produced.
Catherine Huard, general director, reiterates the position of the Fondation Rivières to the effect that the government of Quebec must impose the payment of compensation for untreated wastewater overflows. This incentive would reduce spill times and volumes. “Municipalities must pay for their pollution, and not just send it to their neighbors downstream! » she concludes.
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For informations :
Alain Saladzius
President
514 924-2013
presidency@fondationrivieres.org
