Archive:

2009

Metro Vancouver Reference Panel recommends monitoring long-term cumulative impacts of multiple contaminants in liquid discharges


“Current senior government regulations deal with one contaminant at a time and even though levels may be below some set threshold, the presence of multiple contaminants and their interaction can have impacts on organisms in the long term that are not being considered. The Cautions, Warnings, Triggers process now used by Metro Vancouver focuses mainly on individual contaminants,” stated Ken Hall.

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Metro Vancouver Reference Panel recommends establishing a “stewarding committee” to ensure Liquid Resource Management Plan stays true to the vision


“Metro Vancouver Reference Panel recommends establishing a ‘stewarding committee’ to ensure Liquid Resource Management Plan stays true to the vision. There is a need for fresh, objective eyes bolstered by a strong political mandate to keep asking questions, prod Metro Vancouver and members toward the vision, and assist with the waste-to-resource paradigm-shift over time. A ‘stewarding committee’ would play an expert and non-partisan role,” stated Susan Rutherford.

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Re-Focus Integrated Stormwater Management Plans on outcomes, recommends Metro Vancouver Reference Panel


“Strategies and actions in ISMPs will impact on Metro Vancouver’s sustainability for generations to come. Hence, it is important to link those actions to a picture of a desired outcome,” stated Kim Stephens. “One has to start with the desired outcome – which is protect or improve stream health – and then determine what actions in the watershed will green the urban landscape. Re-focus ISMPs on watershed targets and outcomes so that there are clear linkages with land use planning.”

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How does a community weigh the benefits and liabilities of change driven by demand for land use?


The key principle is that settlement and ecology are equal values and they must be as much in balance as possible for wellbeing of human and natural systems. “If we were in fact measuring ecological values, there would be more ‘weights’ (reliable data) on the ecology side of the balance scale; thus leading to more informed conclusions and hence different decisions,” stated Tim Pringle.

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Nutrient Recovery: Creating Value from Waste at Metro Vancouver


The focus of the Lulu plant tour was on the pilot nutrient recovery technology developed by Dr. Don Mavinic of the University of British Columbia. “To demonstrate the potential for sustainable wastewater treatment solutions, researchers at UBC have developed the technology to capture phosphorus and ammonia from high concentration streams of municipal sewage, and recycle them into environmentally safe fertilizer,” stated Dr. Don Mavinic.

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