Montréal - Following Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq’s decision to ask Montréal to suspend its project aimed at discharging 8 billion litres of waste water into the Saint Lawrence River until an appropriate assessment has been carried out, Daniel Green, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada and candidate in Ville-Marie–Le-Sud-Ouest–Ile-des-Sœurs, issued the following statement:
"We are happy to see Environment Minister following our demand for enforcing the Fisheries Act. There is no doubt that the Act applies in this case, and its objective, as well as the mission of all ministers of the Environment, consists in protecting the environment. This project was badly planned and badly studied, given the destructive consequences.
"That having been said, we are asking Minister Aglukkaq to cooperate with Mayor Coderre for the justified completion of the Riverside snow chute. We are asking the Minister to make available federal vacant lots, particularly in the rights of way of Victoria and Champlain bridges to deposit the snow during the winter of 2015-2016. We must remember that the federal government owns many large lots in Montréal.
"We are also asking the Minister to authorize a very contained discharge next February, limited to the southwest interceptor (between the Alepin (LaSalle) and Riverside (Old Montréal) overflow facilities located directly upstream from the work area in Old Montréal (snow chute and antiquated structures in that part of the interceptor). At that time, the bacteria in the discharge will have been eliminated by the cold, the volume of waste water to flow from the interceptor will be reduced considerably (less than 4 billion litres as compared to the 8 billion predicted) - there is no overflow in the winter since there is no rain - and there will be no human presence near the river."
- 30 -
For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Julian Morelli
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
cell: (613) 614 4916
office: (613) 562 4916 (224)
julian.morelli@greenparty.ca
Or
Robin Marty, Press Agent
Green Party of Canada
514.835.4084
robin.marty@greenparty.ca