Two Greater Victoria politicians are calling for a full environmental study on regional sewage treatment, a delay others fear could jeopardize government funding.

Saanich councillor Vic Derman and Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, who sit on the Capital Regional District liquid waste committee, want to halt work on the $782-million regional sewage project to conduct a full environmental impact and cost benefit study.

Derman maintains that every credible study points to minimal harm associated with the current system of piping screened sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The federal government should change its designation of that system from high to low risk, he said, a move that would delay the requirement for changing the current system by 20 years to 2040.

B次元官网网址淓very scientist, and even the CRDB次元官网网址檚 own reports show that no damage results from the current system,B次元官网网址� Derman said. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 have any emergency here. ItB次元官网网址檚 a three quarter of a billion dollar solution to a problem that doesnB次元官网网址檛 exist.B次元官网网址�

Jensen agrees. B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 been missing, other than sanity and rationality, is a full environmental impact study,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭heatre and perception is triumphing over science. ItB次元官网网址檚 a bad basis for public policy making. Private industry wouldnB次元官网网址檛 undertake a project of this kind without study.B次元官网网址�

Victoria councillor Geoff Young, the CRD board chair, disagrees.

He admitted that CRD reports donB次元官网网址檛 point to an environmental emergency in the current system, but said that itB次元官网网址檚 likely that damage to the marine ecosystem isnB次元官网网址檛 fully understood.

B次元官网网址淚t would be like taking an air sample in Victoria and using it to say that we have no carbon footprint,B次元官网网址� he said.

Young said that delays have risks and that federal and provincial funding could disappear. B次元官网网址淭hat could leave the municipalities to pick up the entire cost of the project,B次元官网网址� he said.

Jensen has heard that argument, and said it falls flat.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a heck of a lot of money,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut thatB次元官网网址檚 the point. If itB次元官网网址檚 not the right thing to do, we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 go ahead. Just think of what we could do with our portion of the money. A quarter of a billion dollars? We could end homelessness, improve roads and bike trails B次元官网网址� the list goes on.B次元官网网址�

Jack Hull, the interim project director of the regional sewage treatment project does not agree with any delay. B次元官网网址淭hese are federal and provincial regulations. They are not optional. Nothing (in the plan) can change,B次元官网网址� he said.

DermanB次元官网网址檚 motion for a study is scheduled for debate within the CRD sewage committee on Nov. 15.

B次元官网网址淭his is about the most important political issue we have (in Victoria),B次元官网网址� Jensen said. B次元官网网址淭he only way weB次元官网网址檒l be heard is if we collaborate and work together with the seven communities who have a stake in this.B次元官网网址�

Information on the Liquid Waste Plan can be found at crd.bc.ca/wastewater.