While I agree with Dr. Shaun Peck that there is still time to rethink our sewage solution, I completely disagree that Macaulay Point is a viable option for sewage treatment.
Guidelines for siting sewage treatment plants recommend a minimum buffer of a 400-metre radius.
Macaulay Point is surrounded by military housing — the closest residents would be only about 25 metres from a sewage-treatment plant. I’m not sure what kind of statement is being made that it is OK to put a sewage-treatment plant in the midst of military housing.
And if that wasn’t reason enough, which it is, the property is then surrounded by hundreds of homes in the Saxe Point neighbourhood. Macaulay Point is absolutely not appropriate for sewage treatment plant and a sewage sludge processing plant.
Peck appears is enamoured of the outfall at Macaulay Point. Following this argument, we could also suggest a sewage treatment plant at Clover Point. However, that configuration would be entirely inappropriate for the same reason that Macaulay Point is inappropriate: Clover Point is surrounded by a densely populated residential neighbourhood.
A sewage treatment plant and sewage-sludge processing facility are not OK in anyone’s backyard.
Beth Burton-Krahn
Esquimalt
