Bill C-269 An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (prohibition — deposit of raw sewage) was given second reading and debate earlier this month. This is a Private Member’s Bill proposed by former Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer to ban the release of ANY raw sewage ever; citing the Montreal planned release of 2015 as a motivating factor. Private Members’ bills rarely pass, but CWWA is following this one, because of the obvious implications for wastewater utilities across the country.
After its first debate in the House of Commons (one hour on May 10th), it seems doubtful this will pass as clear opposition was stated by the Liberals, Bloc-Quebecois and the NDP. This returns for a second hour of debate in about a month at which time a vote of support is required to send it to committee for further consideration.
CWWA’s wastewater committee met over a month ago to discuss our concerns and prepare for an official response, if the Bill gained momentum. It seems unlikely formal comments will be required at this point.
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association