Montreal, December 6, 2018
TRANSMISSION BY EMAIL<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madame MarieChantal Chass\u00e9, Minister <\/p>\n\n\n\n Madam Minister,\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fondation Rivi\u00e8res has been working for 15 years to preserve, restore and enhance the natural character of rivers, as well as the quality of the water. We are constantly looking for measures that can reduce wastewater pollution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nous d\u00e9sirons par la pr\u00e9sente vous proposer une amorce de solution \u00e0 l\u2019augmentation constat\u00e9e du nombre de d\u00e9bordements d\u2019eaux us\u00e9es dans les cours d\u2019eau, ceux-ci ayant pass\u00e9 de 43\u00a0000 en 2013 \u00e0 62\u00a0000 en 2017. Au-del\u00e0 du fait qu\u2019un enregistrement plus pr\u00e9cis des d\u00e9bordements soit\u00a0r\u00e9alis\u00e9 par les municipalit\u00e9s depuis 2015, il existe une r\u00e9elle augmentation de leur nombre, caus\u00e9 par un laxisme dans les proc\u00e9dures et les d\u00e9cisions prises par le pass\u00e9 au Minist\u00e8re.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, current procedures allow new sewer networks carrying additional wastewater to be built, without even ensuring that the downstream sewer network, which must receive this water, has sufficient capacity. . This way of doing things causes more numerous and larger overflows in rainy weather, since the network is not enough to transport the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ministry allows immediate construction of network extensions and gives municipalities a period of three years to submit an action plan. This plan must identify ways so that overflows do not increase. Without even aiming for their reduction. Municipalities then have five years to carry out the actions, which brings to eight years the maximum period allowed during which additional overflows will occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our opinion, no extension of the sewer network should be carried out until the capacity of the sanitation works is sufficient. Section 22 of the Environment Quality Act, and more specifically sections 25 and 26, allow you to require such measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a factual example, the city of Mirabel is currently building, in the Saint-Canut sector along the Rivi\u00e8re du Nord, an extension of the sewer network to serve some 185 new housing units.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, il est connu par les responsables de la Ville, et par le bureau d\u2019ing\u00e9nieurs mandat\u00e9, que le r\u00e9seau d\u2019\u00e9gouts de Saint-Canut avait d\u00e9j\u00e0 une capacit\u00e9 insuffisante avant le prolongement en cours. Une note du responsable de la Ville, dat\u00e9e du 8 janvier 2015 (annexe A), mentionnait explicitement que \u00ab\u00a0la Ville devra effectuer des travaux en r\u00e9seau afin de r\u00e9duire le captage et l\u2019infiltration\u00a0\u00bb et ainsi r\u00e9duire les d\u00e9bordements \u00e0 la station d\u2019\u00e9puration. Les eaux devront de plus transiter par un autre ouvrage de d\u00e9bordement qui polluera in\u00e9vitablement en temps de pluie et de fonte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This project is, moreover, located largely in a humid environment and in a flood zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Il faut souligner qu\u2019aucune personne du Minist\u00e8re n\u2019a autoris\u00e9 ces travaux\u00a0: ils sont r\u00e9gis par la nouvelle proc\u00e9dure acc\u00e9l\u00e9r\u00e9e voulant qu\u2019une simple d\u00e9claration de conformit\u00e9 d\u2019un ing\u00e9nieur suffise pour entreprendre les travaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, the Department's direction should aim to reduce overflows. This currently limits itself to not increasing them, and, in addition, allows a grace period of up to eight years to correct new spills.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope that this information will help you understand this particular problem and provide sufficient motivation to resolve it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We remain available for any further information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please accept, Madam Minister, the expression of our distinguished feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alain Saladzius, P.Eng., FIC <\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo: Ross Sokolovsky\/Unsplash<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fondation Rivi\u00e8res would like to propose the beginnings of a solution to the observed increase in the number of wastewater overflows into watercourses, which rose from 43,000 in 2013 to 62,000 in 2017. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[18,44,79],"class_list":["post-42955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plaintes-lettres-aux-gouvernements","tag-assainissement","tag-egouts","tag-pollution"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fondationrivieres.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change
Marie-Guyart Building
675, boulevard Ren\u00e9-L\u00e9vesque Est, 30e<\/sup> floor
Quebec (Quebec) G1R 5V7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSubject: Authorization from the Ministry for polluting real estate developments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Current procedures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Procedures to consider<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
President, Fondation Rivi\u00e8res<\/p>\n\n\n\n