In response to the 2009 EcoJustice Report, “Flushing Out the Truth: Sewage Dumping in Ontario”, the Simon Lake Community Stewardship Group are asking you to join our Letter Writing Campaign to let the Minister of Environment know that dumping untreated and under-treated sewage into our watersheds is not acceptable.

You can either send The Honourable John Gerretsen your own letter by regular mail at the above address, or follow the instructions below to send him an email on-line:

1.  Click on this link http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/forms/email-form.php?replyRequested=y;

2.     Complete the required fields:  Your Name; Email Address; Street Address; City; Province; Country; Postal Code & Telephone Number; and

3.      Cut and paste the following letter into the Comment Section:

Dear Minister Gerretsen:

I am writing to express my concern with the recent Ecojustice report “Flushing Out the Truth: Sewage Dumping in Ontario.”  This report reveals that, during the years 2006 and 2007, Sudbury’s sewage treatment plants dumped 2.6 billion litres of untreated and under-treated sewage into our waterways, and was the 4th highest City, by volume, in Ontario, dumping untreated and undertreated sewage into the natural environment. This was slightly under the amount dumped by the City of Toronto for the same two years.

I understand that sewage bypasses are sometimes necessary to prevent sewage backups; however, untreated and under-treated sewage bypasses contain many pollutants, including heavy metals, oils, greases, E. coli and phosphorus. Many of Sudbury’s lakes already bear the effects of past environmental practices, including mining activity and many decades of poorly treated sewage discharges. These sewage bypasses can only make matters worse.

The Ministry of Environment controls what can be discharged from sewage treatment plants. For the sake of our waterways, please do something about the sewage dumping from Sudbury’s sewage treatment plants.   I am requesting:

1.    a Ministerial Order to require Sudbury and all other Municipalities to contain these bypass discharges in holding ponds, or some such measure that will prevent untreated and under-treated sewage from being dumped into our watersheds, and until such time as the sewage can be treated;

2.   tighter regulations to require municipalities to upgrade their sewage treatment plants to more environmentally responsible technology;

3.   stricter penalties to deter municipalities from dumping sewage into our natural environment; and

4.    the recommendations of the 2009 EcoJustice Report be implemented.

These recommended measures would allow our lakes and rivers an opportunity to begin to recover to a healthier state.

Sincerely, (Your Name)