Submitted on Monday, September 9, 2019 - 11:50 Submitted by - - PDF document

From: Comox Valley Regional District [mailto:no-reply@cvrdwebsite.ca] Sent: September 9, 2019 11:51 AM To: administration <administration@comoxvalleyrd.ca> Subject: Form submission from: Request to Appear as a Delegation

Submitted on Monday, September 9, 2019 - 11:50 Submitted by anonymous user: 96.54.220.181 Submitted values are: Name(s) of person(s) speaking: Jenny Steel Organization you are representing: Curtis Road Residents Association Primary purpose of the organization: Neighbourhood Advocacy Number of members: 87 Contact name: Jenny Steel Subject matter: Electoral Area B is the host community for Sewage Services treatment

• infrastructure. CRRA will present our proposed "Good Neighbour Agreement"

between Sewer Service participating municipalities and Electoral B. This agreement would establish baselines standards to assure respect for host community rights to a healthy environment and to improve a historically adversarial relationship. Updates on other priorities will also be presented. Specific request of the regional district, if any (i.e. letter of support, funding): Request that the CVRD/Sewage Commission approve and implement a Good Neighbour Agreement. with Area B Director. CRRA's draft agreement will be sent by Email to Jake Maartens by September 10 COB for inclusion as background material. Requested meeting date: September 17, 2019 Audio-visual equipment needed: Powerpoint

September 8 2019 Page 1

Good Neighbour Agreement

Comox Velley Regional District Sewer Services

This is an agreement between the Comox Valley Regional District Sewage Commission (representing

the participating service areas of the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox, including C FB Comox) and Electoral Area B - the host community for sewage treatment facilities. This agreement replaces the CVRD Odour Policy enacted in 2006.

Introduction

Comox Valley Sewer Services supplies wastewater treatment services exclusively to the municipalities of the Town of Comox and the City of Courtenay. Much of the infrastructure to provide the service lies in the boundaries of Electoral Area B – a non-participant in the service. This infrastructure includes the 36-acre Comox Valley Water Pollution Control Centre (CVWPCC), force-mains and the outfall pipe into the Strait of Georgia. Since its commissioning in 1984, the sewage treatment plant has caused nuisance, mostly foul odours, in the host community. Resident lifestyles and property values have been affected leading to legal and public relations challenges.

Purpose of Agreement

This Good Neighbour Agreement has been created to help alleviate negative environmental and public health and nuisance impacts. It establishes a set of standards that that will result in respect for the fundamental rights of host community citizens to a healthy and peaceful environment.

Agreement

• 1. Odour All sewer service processes will be engineered and maintained to meet a standard of 1

Odour Unit with 0.5% frequency at the boundary line of the CVWPCC property:

• a. Every year, odour levels from treatment processes will be measured and odour modelling

conducted to make sure that the odour standard is being met and that all odour controls are functioning as designed.

• b. Odour emissions will be modeled as part of the planning process for any new or expanded

processes (such as addition of primary clarifiers or bioreactors). The costs of any odour controls required to meet the standard will be included in estimates and must be implemented at the time of the upgrade.

• c. Sewer services must conform with the CVRD Unsightly Premises and Nuisances Regulation

Bylaw No. 377.

• 2. Visual Stigma All steps will be taken to assure that the Comox Valley Water Pollution Control

Centre is hidden from view. There will be no encroachment into the buffer zone between host community properties and the CVWPCC- as defined by the fence line in place as of December 2019.

September 8 2019 Page 2

• 3. Groundwater CVWPCC will continuously monitor groundwater and issue alerts to the community

immediately upon detection of water level and water quality changes that could affect host community wells.

• 4. Noise Noise from sewer service locations must be within the standards specified in Comox Valley

Regional District Bylaw No. 102 – a bylaw to regulate or prohibit objectionable noise

• 5. Light Pollution Light pollution can reduce human and wildlife health; interfere with the nocturnal

and/or dark-sky environment and waste lighting energy consumption. Sewer service infrastructure will conform to CVRD’s Dark Sky Policy 3010-00.

• 6. Local Emergency Plan Develop and make available a local emergency plan for emergencies and

disasters which could affect the host community - in accordance with the Emergency Program Act and its associated Regulations.

• 7. Communication Protocol CVRD will develop a communication protocol for conveying the following

to the host community:

• a. Emergency plans if there is a major incident affecting odour, noise and groundwater
• b. Annual upgrade plans for sewer services processes
• c. Annual routine maintenance schedules for sewer services processes
• d. Unplanned maintenance that affects odour, groundwater, visual stigma or noise.
• e. Each use of the Equalization Basin
• 8. Complaint Management Complaints regarding odour, noise, objectionable premises, and light

pollution will be made through the CVRD Bylaw Complaint Office and through CVRD’s emergency contact numbers, as appropriate.

• 9. Access to Information All planning, engineering and staff reports related to sewage infrastructure

in the host community will be made available online or by request. This agreement will be reviewed every five years. _______________________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Sewage Commission Chair ________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Director, Area B

Curtis Road Residents Association September 17, 2019

1

 Bioreactor Odours

• Delayed until October Sewage Commission meeting
• Berms did nothing to reduce the odours – odours now more frequent in
• ther parts of Curtis Road
• “This summer I have experienced the worst odours from the sewage

treatment plant since moving to this address 10 years ago”

 EQ Basin

• CRRA will bring our issues to the Sewage Commission’s October meeting

 Property Values

• BC Assessment Office reduces our property valuations 10% because of the

CVWPCC

 Host Community Compensation

• Will formulate a proposal over the winter months

 Representation

• We ask that our rep be at the table for October discussions re the

Bioreactors and the EQ Basin

2

 Agreement is between the Sewage Commission and

the host community -- Electoral Area B

 Formally recognize that the host community has rights

to a healthy and peaceful environment

 Agreement’s nine principles:

• Serve as a checklist for CVRD staff and Commissioners
• Respect the host community’s bylaws
• Support for moving from reactive to proactive
• Re-establish trust

 Replace the outdated Odour Policy of 2006

3

1. Odour

• Ontario Standard – 1 OU with 0.5% frequency at the boundary

line of the CVWPCC property

• CVWPCC processes measured and modelled annually for

conformance

• CVRD Bylaw 377 compliance (Odour Nuisance)
• Nuisance tort law

2. Visual Stigma

• Keep the plant hidden – maintain the buffer zone

3. Groundwater

• Continuous monitoring and alerts if issues arise

4

4. Noise

• conformance with Regional District Bylaw No. 102

5. Light Pollution

• conform to CVRD’s Dark Sky Policy

6. Local Emergency Plan

• as per Emergency Program Act and Regulations

5

7. Communication Protocol to host community:

• Emergencies
• Annual Upgrade Plans
• Annual Routine Maintenance Schedule
• Unplanned maintenance
• Each use of the Equalization Basin

8. Complaint Management

• Through CVRD Bylaw Complaint Office

9. Access to Information

• All planning, engineering and staff reports available online or by

request

6

 Review and revise agreement with CVRD Senior Staff,

Area B Director and the Chair of the Sewage Commission

 Sewage Commission December meeting for discussion

and decision ?

7