Sewage treatment and global warming
Letter to Times Colonist - Published December 29th, 2009.
It has been estimated by consultants to the Capital Regional District's core area liquid waste management committee that building the proposed land-based sewage treatment plants will produce 15,516 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, or greenhouse gases.
During operation the carbon dioxide emissions are estimated at 7,917 tonnes per year.
Although the CRD claims it will be able to obtain 18,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas offsets per year, the original carbon footprint could be avoided by not building the plants at all.
As a letter-writer commented (Dec. 26), trading carbon emissions is "a scheme born by the same cleverness as mortgage derivatives." The offsets will not result in a reduction of the original carbon footprint.
There needs to be a review of the impact of building and operating the proposed land-based sewage treatment plants on the global land and marine environment compared with the highly effective natural treatment of Victoria's liquid waste by means of fine screening and discharge through the two deep-sea outfalls.
Dr. Shaun Peck
Victoria