Annotated Critique of RSTV Public Letter

Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria (RSTV) recently circulated a public letter in which its 92 members criticise plans to build a secondary treatment plant for Victoria sewage, which is currently dumped untreated into the Strait of Juan de Fuca via two outfall pipes. Here is my annotated response:

"The undersigned citizens of Greater Victoria support the efforts of our local, provincial, and federal governments to explore alternative methods of handling liquid waste disposal in our community. This is disingeneous: many of the signatories, including a number of professors from UVic, are in fact ardent supporters of the current practice of dumping raw, untreated sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Moreover, they are adamantly opposed to building a sewage treatment plant, whatever the cost, because they think it is a complete waste of time, replacing a service they claim nature does essentially for free. The region is growing and changing, and future needs must be considered. We are however concerned that objective information is needed, and soon, balancing the costs and benefits of all currently available options. Including the costs and benefits of dumping raw sewage into Victoria Bight; has your group looked at that? I see a potentially significant cost to the environment and economy ( e.g. tourism, whalewatching, windsurfing, fishing, etc. ) and very little benefit. Thus, dumping raw sewage into the Strait may be a case of "penny wise, pound foolish".

We have been impressed by the detailed assessment by well-informed people - environmentalists, marine scientists, engineers, economists and health care professionals - that has been assembled on the web site http://www.rstv.ca/ . Surely this is self-serving, amounting as it does to a pat on one's own back.

The evidence indicates that the worst problem with the existing liquid waste disposal system is the continued failure to address storm drain overflows. Last January, for example, heavy rains resulted in raw unscreened sewage being discharged from storm drain outfalls along the coastline over 40 times. This is one problem, but whether it is "the worst problem" is open to debate, to say the least. There are many other problems with dumping raw, untreated sewage into the Strait, such as the fact that no one really knows what happens to it, where it goes, and what impact it has on the environment. My position is that the onus should be on those who claim that the sewage has no appreciable impact on the environment to prove that, and yet such proof does not really exist. On the contrary, a serious argument can be made that the waters of the Strait are too cold to break down the sewage the way the proponents of dumping claim that it does, and to destroy pathogens. Moreover, oceanographic evidence presented to the MMAC suggests that a significant percentage of the sewage and contaminants it contains is not flushed out to sea but instead ends up in Haro Strait, prime habitat to the endangered southern resident killer whales. While no one is suggesting that raw sewage is the principal, let alone only reason for the orcas' decline, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back, since the immune systems of the whales in question are already stressed to the limit.

The Ministry of Environment has mandated sewage treatment, at an estimated cost of $1.1 billion dollars. Yet the currently recommended plan submitted to the Minister would not fix the storm drain problem. Nor would it enhance the already exemplary source control program (which stops many toxic chemicals from ever going down the drain). The source control program is ambitious, but suffers from two main problems: it does not cover raw sewage, and it does not cover what householders dump down their drains and toilets- a potential toxic cocktail of discarded prescription drugs, grease, used paints, oil, household cleaners and chemicals, etc. The proposed treatment expenditure is huge: $1.1 billion is equivalent to $500-700 per year, per average household, in the core area for the next 50 years. The cost is similar to the annual cost per Victoria household of the entire City of Victoria Police Department.

Evidence-based policy requires evidence. Evidence works both ways: provincial studies have produced evidence that contaminants from Victoria sewage, including mercury, are ending up in the sediment of Juan de Fuca Strait. Open government requires that citizens be informed. With these requirements in mind, we assert that the Ministry of Environment has a duty to commission and publish an independent, objective, cost-benefit study of the proposed land-based treatment option. Why not just come out and say what most of you apparently think, i.e. that there is no evidence that the current practice of dumping raw sewage does any harm, and that there is also no evidence that mandating secondary treatment will do any good.

Consistent with provincial and federal guidelines for cost-benefit analysis, such a study must examine all relevant alternatives, including a) the existing system “as is” (the status quo) i.e. the system many of your signatories, including especially a group of UVic oceanographers, believe works so well; b) the existing system with low-cost and probably highly-cost-effective enhancements, related to storm drain discharges and source control and c) the currently proposed plan. d) another plan or plans; I mean, why stop there?

Before proceeding with a $1.1 billion expenditure, citizens of the Capital Regional District, and interested observers elsewhere, should be provided with evidence of the environmental or other benefits to be expected from the treatment plan proposed, and the harms that may result (for instance from the disposal of large volumes of sludge that will be trucked through residential neighbourhoods). Let us not be too selective here: this same sludge, absent treatment, currently ends up in the Strait. What harm is that practice doing?; is this not a valid question as well?

At present, only hypothetical benefits have been identified for proposed land-based treatment. Likewise, only hypothetical benefits of the existing practice have been identified. The costs are substantial. This is hardly good evidence for acceptable, rational public policy.

Before the CRD spends more of our local tax dollars on planning for land-based treatment, it is essential that the evidence be assembled on the costs and benefits of all viable alternatives. We call on the Ministry of Environment to fund, commission, and publish such a study, with no further delay.

To be fair and balanced, any study should look at the costs and benefits of doing nothing versus the costs and benefits of various alternatives."

Signed: Gerald Graham, Ph. D., Nov. 3, 2007

Will the Queen of the North Wreck Be Raised?

One year after the Queen of the North ferry sank off Gil Island in Wright Sound, one of the options that is perhaps being considered for dealing with the diesel fuel, lubricants and other oil products on board, is to raise the entire vessel from the seabed 400 metres beneath the surface. Blowing the wreck up has also been mentioned by one source, perhaps in jest.

One of the problems with even considering recovering the oil down there is that the authorities don't know how much there is left in the fuel tanks. A lot of the 200,000 litres of diesel fuel on board may, for instance, have been released more or less immediately upon impact with the ocean bottom. That would account for the extensive, rainbow-coloured sheen that was observed on the surface over the course of the first few days after the disaster, and which spread to nearby Fin Island and other adjacent locales. In addition, an unknown quantity of diesel fuel has been slowly but surely coming to the surface, as this observer noticed on September 21, 2006 when he visited the site off Gil Island. At the present time, the leaking fuel is probably no worse that what one finds at your average marina anywhere along the BC coast; in other words, a minor inconvenience, unless of course you have absolute zero tolerance for such things, in which case you would demand that everything be done to stop the leak.

Contrary to what has been reported on radio and TV, though, although half the wreck is ensconced in mud or silt, it could, apparently, be raised, if money is no object, which appears to be the case. On the other hand, there seem to be two complicating factors: two passengers are thought to have gone down with the ship, and there is a fear that the superstructure may not survive an attempt to bring it to the surface. Thus, the risk is that in the process of raising the Queen of North an even greater spill could be triggered. This no one would want. This risk must be raised against another risk - that associated with leaving the oil on board, to gradually leak out, or possibly create another environmental emergency at some point down the road.

In short, the responsible parties will at some point have to decide whether the risk of leaving the oil on board the wreck at the bottom of the sea, presumably to eventually discharge all of its remaining contents, outweighs the risk of either siphoning the fuel oil off or retrieving the wreck. BTW, what would you do, in your capacity as an armchair salvage expert? Send us your comments, and don't turn that dial: we shall keep you posted as events unfold.

BC North Coast Ocean Technology Opportunities

As presented at a COINPacific Forum in Victoria on June 5, 2006, a plan is afoot to create an Ocean Observation System along the lines of the VENUS and NEPTUNE projects, for the North Coast of BC. This project would be funded by government but industry operated. The declared intent of such a project would be to create a private sector ocean science community within BC, steering the focus away from existing government and university research centres such as IOS and PBS.

One has to wonder about the wisdom of using taxpayer money to finance such an initiative, especially since private entities tend to control the intellectual property these projects generate. The main problem with such ventures is that the datasets they generate are privately owned, and so governments, the public and the private sector do not have free access to them, to either validate the findings of the relevant research, or to add value to the data and results.

Questions also arise as to what kind of research is done, who sets the research priorities, what the research is done for, and the way in which it is conducted.

Thus, there is a need to explain why it is that potentially hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars should be funnelled into private sector technology and marine science programs when government research centres on the west coast are starved for cash.

In the final analysis, commercial ocean science ventures should stand or fall on their own merits, and should not be heavily subsidised by governments. Moreover, major science planning on the west coast, and indeed all of our coasts, should be science- rather than technology-driven.

Reflections on Role for COINPacific in Developing an Ocean Information Technology Cluster

As presented at the COINPacific Forum in Victoria on June 27, 2005, numerous coastal and oceans information and knowledge databases and platforms are either available or planned for British Columbia. Many of these repositories are leading edge. Some, though not all, are already available to the public in one form or another, while others will be made available in the future. There would appear to be a tremendous opportunity to add value to these databases, through partnerships involving government, universities, NGOs and the private sector. COINPacific could play a central role as a catalyst in promoting and fostering the commercialisation of these knowledge sources, taking advantage of synergies, establishing what amounts to an ocean information cluster, and generally championing the development and dissemination of ocean knowledge in the province of British Columbia and beyond.

The Role for the Private Sector

There are obviously many more high tech firms involved in the ocean information technology sector in BC than were represented at the COINPacific Forum. Just a cursory look at the directory on the VIATEC web site ( http://www.viatec.ca/directory.php?operation=sector&area=list&id=25 ) reveals a host of ocean-related companies, many of them world class. Victoria is also a hotbed of information technology firms, including my own, as another VIATEC web page indicates ( http://www.viatec.ca/directory.php?operation=sector&area=list&id=9 ).

The private sector is the driver of the economy, and the high tech sector is the engine of the new economy. Governments can foster growth, but Canada's future wellbeing lies in the development of new technologies, in researching and developing innovative solutions to emerging problems and challenges, and in creating wealth on a sustainable basis. The private sector, however, cannot and should not work alone in identifying and developing this potential: partnerships will be required to fully exploit these opportunities.

Leveraging the Traditional, Resource Sector Economy

Embracing information technology in the new economy does not by any means amount to the rejection of the "old economy" as represented by fishing, logging, mining and other extractive industries such as oil and gas. In other words, we do not have to turn our backs on these sectors in favour of, for instance, renewable energy technologies such as wind, wave and tidal power. The economic future of BC is likely to be characterised by a healthy balance among all these sectors, old and new. In fact, high tech advances are already transforming the more traditional sectors, thereby adding value to the economy and making these sectors world-beaters in a competitive, global economy. In the decades to come, however, only those traditional sectors that have managed to adapt themselves to the knowledge-based economy will survive and prosper.

Overcoming a Mistrust of Business in BC in General, and on Vancouver Island in Particular

For COINPacific to succeed in creating a vibrant, creative ocean information technology cluster, one of the big hurdles to overcome will be an abiding suspicion of the private sector and private sector initiatives. In Victoria and on Vancouver Island in general, this latent hostility to anything that has to do with new ideas, change, progress and development is legendary. There is nothing inherently wrong with leveraging technology that was originally developed with taxpayers' money, with capitalising on that wealth of knowledge, and with taking it a step or two further. British Columbia needs an ocean information technology champion, someone who can articulate the benefits of technology transfer, someone with the vision to promote it, establish partnerships and generally create the conditions under which this emerging sector can flourish.

What COINPacific Is and Is Not

The BC oceans community is faced with a number of contentious public policy issues at the present time, and the author has himself been deeply involved in a number of these struggles. In a free and open society, debate on these issues is to be encouraged. However, COINPacific is not the most appropriate forum in which to conduct this debate. Rather, the primary purpose of CoinPacific should be to provide a forum for the:

• sharing of information and knowledge on ocean information technology
• identification of knowledge gaps and priorities for investigation
• exploration and development of commercial opportunities and technology transfer
• establishment of public/private sector partnerships to add value to ocean information technology products and services, thereby maximising the potential of the information databases at hand

Opportunity Knocks

The establishment of a COINPacific office housed within the Innovation and Development Corporation ( IDC ) [ http://web.uvic.ca/idc/ ] at the University of Victoria is a welcome event. The IDC has a proven track record in technology transfer, establishment of joint ventures and spin-off firms, nurturing of incubator companies, etc. The university is also one of Canada's premier centres for ocean-related teaching and research. COINPacific should capitalise on these strengths of the University of Victoria, which give it a competitive edge, all the while ensuring that other universities, the private sector, the NGO community and other users of information technology are fully involved, as equal partners in this exciting and innovative initiative. At the same time, the public needs to be reassured that free and open access to the original ocean information databases, which were developed with taxpayers' money, will be maintained.

The Challenge

From an industry perspective, the task will be to draw in ocean information technology firms which are often competing with one another, and which are therefore often sceptical of any initiative to share information, especially that which may or may not be subject to intellectual property restrictions. The trick will be to convince local partners that we are not so much competing against each other as working with each other in competition with the rest of the world, and that the more we collaborate, the better able we are to create a sustainable, world-class ocean information technology sector of benefit to us all- our children, their children, as well as society in general. Let this be our legacy to them all.

Investing in the Pacific Gateway to the Mind

Roadway schmoadway! Bridges schmidges! We need to invest in human capital instead of pouring billions of taxpayers' dollars into massive public infrastructure projects that are obsolete the moment the ribbons are cut at the opening ceremonies. Backward as the Lower Mainland's transportation system may be, its dilapidated state pales when compared to the status of the province's educational system. Dollar for dollar, investing in the development of peoples' brains has a far better payback than any road, bridge or container port.

What made me think of this is an interesting story in today's Van Sun by Michael Kane, entitled "Demand boosts container imports by 30%". The stats cited in the article essentially confirm my long-held suspicion that most of the shipments from the Port of Vancouver (POV) consist of bulk cargo exports to Asia, whereas Asian countries are adding value to these imports and transforming them into manufactured goods which they then ship back to us. It's kind of the reverse of what you'd expect from a supposedly developed country such as Canada -don't you think? As if that weren't bad enough, 30% of the containers they ship to us full of manufactured goods go back empty! What does that tell you about our Pacific trading relationships? It's rather asynchronous, don't you think?

So much for the KBE or knowledge-based economy. It's just a variation on the old Canadian theme of hewers of wood and drawers of water, aka the rocks and trees economy.

Is this what the Pacific Gateway project is all about - facilitating more of the same? Are these the kinds of jobs we want for our children and grandchildren - driving trains and container trucks, working in the potash and uranium mines, chopping down forests, growing wheat, barley and canola on the drought-stricken Prairies, driving a giant loader at that stain on the human conscience which is Ft. MacMurray, etc? Or do we instead want them to be innovators, getting Ph. D.s in neuroscience, finding cures for cancer, and developing leading edge software - these kinds of brainpower pursuits that are the way of the future? Investing in these sectors, and educating our young people accordingly, is how we're going to maintain a competitive edge over other countries, and especially emerging markets.

It's all about choices, isn't it? Choosing the kind of future we want for BC and then building it. We need to start investing in the Gateway of the Mind. Instead of building more roads and bridges to nowhere, and a costly and transitory winter olympics, we should be expanding the stock of intellectual capital of this province - fighting illiteracy; promoting numeracy and the development of patents; putting money into university centres of excellence, joint ventures, networks and clusters; developing incubator companies; making seed capital available to SMEs; and guaranteeing post-secondary education for all who meet the entrance requirements. Incredibly, BC boasts the lowest post-secondary participation rate of any province in Canada, a dubious distinction that is bound to be perpetuated so long as we persist in favouring the development of industries and sectors that require only a trade.

Roads don't generate ideas - creative people generate ideas! Bridges don't file patents - innovators file patents! We've got to move beyond the old Neanderthal approach to development as epitomised in the thinking of the Gordon Campbell's of this world - the petit bourgeois whose constituency seems to be every Tom, Dick and Harry who greases the Liberty Party pole.

Finally, I suggest a good way to start turning things around would be to oppose the proposed massive expansion of the Deltaport terminal at Roberts Bank. That would at least give the endangered southern resident killer whales a fighting chance at survival.

Where the Great Bear Rainforest Meets the Great Blue Sea

The feds have just announced funding for BC's Great Bear Rainforest Initiative. It's all very nice to sign another agreement protecting the coastal rainforest, but what happens to the same treasured area if the offshore oil and gas moratorium is lifted, or if supertankers laden with tar sands oil start plying the Queen Charlotte Basin?

In other words, it's all well and good to talk about ecosystem-based management, but where is the recognition that the land and sea are inextricably linked, and that in order to save the forest in general, and the Kermode Bear in particular, you have to protect the ocean as well, and develop an integrated approach? Let's not forget that we are talking here about the so-called "Salmon Forest", as Tom Reimchen calls it, and that a catastrophic oil spill could cause irreversible harm to both the marine and terrestrial environments.

In short, while this initiative is a significant step forward, we are only halfway there if we wish to truly protect the entire region, encompassing both land and sea, from the ravages of development. What we need to do is protect not just the central and north coasts but the Queen Charlotte Basin as well. To this end, we should support DFO's PNCIMA planning initiative for the North Coast, and reaffirm the oil and gas and tanker moratoria until such time as the PNCIMA process is complete.

The Observer

The raven knows where our past lays
The raven knows it true
He sleeps at night, ‘caws’ by day
Fixing his eyes like glue.

There was a time the raven soared
Above the cedars by the coast
Even before the waves first roared
And Skedans was known to most.

I saw a raven above the trail
He waited while I ate my lunch
And when I left him for a sail
He ate the crumbs, the whole darned bunch.

Wherever you go on Haida Gwaii
You’re bound to hear the raven’s cackle
But never leave your gear nearby
For you’re sure to lose your block and tackle.

Now, logging came and logging went
And fishing’s come and gone
But the raven’s seen what god has sent
And knows what man has done.

Drilling rigs may punch the sky
While tankers ply the strait
The raven with his watchful eye
Just watches while he waits.

The eagle soars majestically
The fish come back to spawn
The raven sleeps but fitfully
Still waiting for the dawn.

A cruise ship passes close to shore
Seagulls in its wake
The raven waits a little more
To see what it can take.

Float planes come, float planes go
Bringing fishers from the mist
The raven takes it all in tow
Adding memories to his list.

Years from now, when I’m gone
To where I do not know
The raven will still sing his song
And the winds continue to blow.

The Future of Coburg Peninsula at Esquimalt Lagoon

Introduction

Coburg Peninsula is the spit of land that forms Esquimalt Lagoon, just west of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia on Canada's wet coast. The peninsula means different things to different people. To some it is a road connecting one part of Colwood to another, or perhaps something they look out on from their backyards. For these and other people the peninsula is a key feature of Esquimalt Lagoon, which is both a migratory bird sanctuary and a popular recreation area. And to emergency officials Coburg Peninsula is a vital exit route and shortcut to Fort Rodd Hill.

From an environmental perspective, talk about the future of Coburg Peninsula is really a discussion about the future of Esquimalt Lagoon itself, for as the peninsula goes, so goes the lagoon. Save the peninsula and one stands a good chance of saving the lagoon. Misuse and mistreat the peninsula and the lagoon stands a good chance of being lost at some point in the not-too-distant future. That would be a tragedy indeed, for Esquimalt Lagoon is the jewel in the crown of Colwood’s public spaces.

Viewed in this light, Coburg Peninsula’s future would seem to hinge, in part at least, on the scale and footprint of a number of proposed developments in the surrounding area. These developments, which include Legacy Estates, Royal Bay and the proposed Michelle skyscraper condominium, are bound to place increasing pressure on Esquimalt Lagoon in general, and Coburg Peninsula in particular. Assuming these developments get approved, the only realistic way to protect the peninsula may be to take steps to reduce vehicular traffic on that stretch of Ocean Boulevard. And the best way to do that is to prevent commuter traffic from using Coburg Peninsula as a secondary transportation artery.

The Current Traffic Problem

Coburg Peninsula is already buffeted by vehicular traffic. Traffic surveys conducted in 2004, for instance, indicate that on weekdays upwards of 500 vehicles traverse this stretch of Ocean Boulevard during the morning and evening rush hour periods. It is estimated that at least another 500 vehicles enter the area each day on average for recreational purposes.

No one can say for sure what impact all of this traffic is having on the local environment. However, it is obvious to even the casual observer that the resulting air pollution, noise and speeding traffic cannot but have a negative effect on the birds found in this migratory bird sanctuary – including the significant numbers of herons, geese, ducks and swans regularly found there.

At the very least, the authorities should be asking themselves whether the passage of significant numbers of vehicles through the area at least five days a week is consistent with its status as a migratory bird sanctuary.

The Looming Threat

If the current traffic situation is bad enough now, proposed developments in the vicinity pose serious threats to Esquimalt Lagoon in general, and Coburg Peninsula in particular. Chief among these proposals are the Lagoon Estates and Michelle developments to the north, as well as the Royal Bay development to the west. The Lagoon Estates development calls for approximately 600 units to be built on the property adjacent to the lagoon. The Michelle concept calls for a 41-storey condominium to the area northeast of the lagoon. For its part, Royal Bay will see a total of 2150 units built in phases.

Unless planning steps are taken, these developments would inevitably result in more and more vehicular traffic along Coburg Peninsula. Conceivably, at some point down the road Esquimalt Lagoon’s continued vitality or indeed its very existence could be jeopardised by these new sources of traffic.

Proposed Mitigative Measures: An Assessment

One way to mitigate the potentially negative impact of Royal Bay traffic on Esquimalt Lagoon would be to block off access to and from Royal Bay via Lagoon Road. However, new traffic from Lagoon Estates alone could conceivably double the amount of commuter use of Coburg Peninsula each weekday. As for the Michelle development, its potential impact on local traffic flows is unknown at the present time.

The principal way in which the Interim Management Guidelines proposed for Coburg Peninsula intend to deal with the traffic problem is to slow traffic down by placing an obstruction midway along the peninsula, which vehicles would have to go around. This may have its intended effect, but whether it is enough to cause commuters to take another route is an open question.

Preventing Access to Coburg Peninsula by All Commuter Traffic

Given the present and future threats that increases in vehicular traffic along Coburg Peninsula present to Esquimalt Lagoon, the only realistic approach to dealing with the problem may be to close off that particular stretch of Ocean Boulevard to commuter traffic. This proposal would seem to have a degree of support from local residents, but it is rejected by civic officials, who point to the boulevard’s key role as an emergency access route.

This undoubtedly valid objection to closing off Coburg Peninsula to commuter traffic could be overcome by placing a locked gate midway along the peninsula, which could only be opened by emergency officials using a remote control device. The idea is that officials would be able to open the gate for their own use, and for the use of the general public during other emergencies such as earthquakes, forest fires, etc., when secondary access routes are required. The advantage of a remote control device is that emergency vehicles would not lose valuable time by having to stop and open the gate during an emergency call.

Such a solution would have the effect of allowing recreational users to continue to access Esquimalt Lagoon via Ocean Boulevard from both directions, while making through traffic impossible.

Summary and Conclusion

Saving Esquimalt Lagoon involves much more than just taking steps to conserve Coburg Peninsula. Valid as all those proposed measures are, an ecosystem-based approach is required if the entire lagoon is to have a sustainable future. This means that one has to take into account what is happening not just on the peninsula, but within the watershed of the lagoon as well. It also means moving beyond the parochial view apparently held in some quarters that Coburg Peninsula is “just another artery” within Colwood’s road network.

It would seem that unless drastic steps are taken, traffic density on the Coburg Peninsula stretch of Ocean Boulevard is bound to increase dramatically in years to come. The consequences of this heightened activity cannot be but negative for the environment in general, and wildlife in particular.

One way to prevent this deteriorating situation from developing would be to take steps to prevent the area from being used by commuters, while continuing to facilitate access by recreational users and emergency vehicles alike.

In the final analysis, the matter of saving Esquimalt Lagoon is not just a traffic or transportation issue. Rather, it is a question of where Esquimalt Lagoon fits into Colwood’s long term plan. Ultimately, what the issue comes down to is how much the community values such outstanding natural spaces, and what sacrifices it is prepared to make to conserve them.

If Colwood sees itself as a progressive, green community, and wishes to project this image to the rest of the world as well, then taking a bold step to conserve Esquimalt Lagoon would be as good a place as any to start.