March 25, 2015

Kilmer Presses Canadian Delegation on Solution to Sewage Being Dumped into the Strait of Juan de Fuca

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) met with members of the Canadian parliament and pressed them to find a solution to the dumping of raw sewage from Canada into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The meeting was a part of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG), a bilateral association that includes members from the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada.

“It’s time for Canada to solve this sewage problem,” said Kilmer. “I grew up in Port Angeles, right across the water from Victoria. So it concerns me when after many years, Canada continues to send raw sewage right into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I’ll continue to call on our Canadian partners to work on a solution so we can ensure this does not impact our shared waters any longer.”

Last year, the government of British Columbia decided not to move forward with a sewage treatment plant in the Victoria region at McLoughlin Point. The Victoria area, home to 300,000 people, has pumped effluent into the waters across from Washington state for years. The treatment facility was supposed to be completed by 2018 until the local Canadian government decided to table the site.

Kilmer led members of the Washington state delegation in an effort to call on British Columbia Premier Christy Clark to move forward in addressing the issue, pointing out the risk to fisheries, businesses, and healthy waters.

 

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