Kilmer Asks EPA Administrator to Raise the Issue of Sewage Flowing into the Strait of Juan de Fuca with British Columbia
Head of EPA will meet with Canadian government officials at upcoming environmental cooperation meeting
Representative Kilmer’s letter to EPA Administrator: ‘Continued dumping of sewage into the region’s waters fails to adhere to commonly accepted sewage treatment practices’
Washington, D.C. – Last week, Representative Derek Kilmer called for the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to raise the issue of sewage being dumped into the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canadian government officials at the yearly meeting of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation later this month. Kilmer made the request in a letter sent to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy.
In the letter sent last week, Representative Kilmer noted that for several decades now, the people of British Columbia have failed to implement commonly accepted sewage treatment practices and have instead continued to dump millions of liters of raw effluent into the Strait of Juan de Fuca waters on a daily basis. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has noted a correlation in this action with the decreasing levels of dissolved oxygen throughout the Salish Sea.
“Having grown up on the North Shore of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I am deeply aware of the effects that ongoing water pollution has had and will continue to have on our environment and marine economy,” said Kilmer. “I would appreciate your honoring this request and sharing any feedback you receive from the Canadian delegation.”
Until recently, the construction of a water treatment facility plant in the Township of Esquimalt by 2018 was anticipated to finally address this problem but the project was suspended indefinitely.
The Salish Sea is an economic and cultural lifeline for the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Washington state’s maritime economy supports 30 billion dollars in economic activity each year and provides 148,000 jobs.
On June 13th, Kilmer led members of the Washington state delegation in sending a letter to the British Columbia premier, asking that she work promptly to resolve this issue due to the importance of these waters to both British Columbia and the United States.
The full text of the letter follows.
July 3, 2014
The Honorable Gina McCarthy,
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
William Jefferson Clinton Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, NC1301A
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator McCarthy,
Thank you for your continued efforts and attention to improving water quality in the Puget Sound. As you know, the health of the Sound is directly linked to the preservation of environmentally sensitive aquatic habitats as well as Washington state’s marine economy. Unfortunately, the Sound’s waters have long been adversely impacted by ongoing water pollution from British Columbia. Looking forward to the yearly meeting of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation later this month, I request that you raise with Canadian officials the need for a speedy resolution to British Columbia’s ongoing discharge of sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
For several decades now, the people of British Columbia have failed to implement commonly accepted sewage treatment practices and have instead continued to dump millions of liters of raw effluent into our shared waters on a daily basis. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has noted a correlation in this action with the decreasing levels of dissolved oxygen throughout the Salish Sea. Until recently, the construction of a water treatment facility in the Township of Esquimalt by 2018 was anticipated to finally address this problem. Unfortunately, this project has been suspended indefinitely; halting construction. Moreover, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has decided not to intervene.
As the U.S. delegation to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation engages with international counterparts, it is my hope that you will seize this opportunity to discuss the pressing need for the Canadian government to promptly take meaningful steps to ensure secondary treatment of British Columbia’s raw sewage and join as full partners in promoting the health of our shared waters.
Having grown up on the North Shore of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I am deeply aware of the effects that ongoing water pollution has had and will continue to have on our environment and marine economy. I would appreciate your honoring this request and sharing any feedback you receive from the Canadian delegation.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer
Member of Congress
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