News Release

Councillor Disappointed with Port Authority Comments

(Thursday, May 31/2001)-- Woodside Councillor Bruce Hetherington said today that he is disappointed with statements by the Chair and the President of the Halifax Port Authority regarding a proposed sewage treatment plant for south end Halifax.

Councillor Hetherington said it was irresponsible for Merv Russell, chair of the Port Authority, and David Bellefontaine, President and Chief Operating Officer, to state that they didn't want to see a treatment plant located on, or near, port property because of odour problems.

The Councillor said Mr. Russell raised the odour issue in a local television news report and Mr. Bellefontaine was quoted in a daily newspaper report this morning as saying "We had no intention of letting a plant go there (on the site of the former VIA Rail maintenance shed in south end Halifax)."

The newspaper story continued: (Columnist) " Why, I asked, does it smell? " (Mr. Bellefontaine) "Sure it does. That's one of the concerns we have...I don't think they can be smell-proof."

Bellefontaine went on to say that the proposed treatment plant would adversely affect the Port Authority's plans for a south end cruise ship terminal. "Welcome to Halifax. Now please turn your noses to the right to avoid the smell of the treatment plant."

Councillor Hetherington said both officials of this publicly-funded agency "should get their facts straight before they start commenting publicly about something that they know little about."

He said that both Halifax Regional Council and the Harbour Solutions Project Committee have gone to great lengths to ensure that the latest technological advances and environmental protection design and equipment where required of bidders in the tender call for the multi-million dollar project.

"The municipality has been operating a major sewage treatment plant in Bedford for the past twenty years. It's located next to a shopping mall and some high-end condominium developments, with very few problems. Why should there be odour problems with the new plants?" he said.

"You can be darned sure that I'm not going to go along with any project that would cause problems in this neighbourhood or any other neighbourhood, " he said.

Councillor Hetherington said the Harbour Solutions Project Team, along with members of Community Liaison Committees (made-up of citizens from within the affected communities), held a number of public meetings in Halifax and Dartmouth to discuss the issues of odour, noise abatement and overall appearance of the proposed treatment plants.

The Councillor said " I am not aware that anyone from the Halifax Port Authority attended any of these public meetings to get a clear understanding about the operations of these treatment plants and the stringent project specifications required for the protection of the affected communities."

"I would hope that in the future, before any official associated with a government or any

other publicly-funded organization speaks publicly about Harbour Solutions Project, that they get their facts straight first, " he said.

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Councillor Bruce Hetherington
(902) 488-4808