Esquimalt and Vic West residents called for an end to the Capital Regional District’s sewage “bullying” on Saturday, protesting a potential biosolids processing plant on Viewfield Road.
Under the proposal, sludge would be piped two kilometres from the planned sewage treatment plant on McLoughlin Point to the biosolids facility.
“We didn’t get any notice and we should have a say,” said Jodi Bernath, who lives with her 13-year-old son in the Pioneer Co-op Housing behind the proposed sludge-plant property.
“I just found out yesterday and I’m not happy with it. I have a child and the whole idea of having a sewage plant right behind us is just not OK. … If it goes through, I would think about moving.”
Between 150 and 200 people attended the rallies, which drew many of the same individuals, at Saxe Point Park and Hereward Park, behind the Viewfield Road site.
The rallies were organized after the CRD announced last week it had paid $17 million for the 1.7-hectare Wilson Foods warehouse site on Viewfield Road, to use as a potential location for a biosolids plant.
CRD officials negotiated the deal for the industrial site — near houses, a grocery store and three schools — in private and announced it after it was signed.
Richard Atwell, who spoke at both rallies on behalf of Stopabadplan.ca, called the secret purchase “the final straw.”
“They purchased this property, then told the community about it,” he said. “They should be doing it the other way around.”
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, who has spoken out against the plan, called the turnout at the rallies gratifying. “You can’t spend $17 million of taxpayers’ money without taxpayers being included,” she said.
Debbie Ottenbreit, whose property overlooks the McLoughlin Point site, agreed.
“My feeling is that we’re being bullied by the CRD,” she said. “If they ram this through with no consideration at all, it’s just not fair.”
Public consultation about the Viewfield Road site’s use will be held in May, said Denise Blackwell, chairwoman of the CRD sewage committee.
The district tried to negotiate an option to purchase the land so that public consultations could be held in advance of a sale, she said, but were unable to do so.
The CRD originally planned to pipe the sludge 18 kilometres to a plant at the Hartland landfill in Saanich. But after people criticized that plan, the regional district began looking for a site closer to McLoughlin Point.
The biosolids facility would turn sludge — left over from sewage treatment — into fuel.
The entire project is budgeted at $783 million and set to be online in 2018.
