STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR PATTY RITCHIE ON MONTREAL SEWAGE DUMP PLAN

As someone who lives not far from the St. Lawrence River, and the representative of thousands of people who live on its shores, I am extremely disappointed by Montreal’s decision to move forward with the dumping of sewage into what is one of the world’s greatest waterways.

In its rationale for moving forward with the dumping, one of the factors Montreal cites is aging infrastructure.  Simply put, it’s outrageous that Montreal, which has been known as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly and clean cities, would allow its infrastructure to get to a point where they say that the only credible option is dumping raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River.

On Monday, I had the opportunity to meet with the delegate-general of Quebec province and express my concerns. In addition to environmental impacts, I also shared with him that I remain concerned about the message this decision could potentially send to other municipalities along the St. Lawrence River, who now may view the waterway as a dumping ground for sewage and other dangerous pollutants.

The St. Lawrence River is a natural treasure, and we’re so fortunate to have this unique and unmatched resource in our region.  It’s unsettling to see Montreal have so little regard for the waterway, the wildlife that inhabits it and those that live along its shores.  The bottom line is that we need to work together and do more to protect the St. Lawrence—not pollute it.