Sludge Watch ==> Victoria, British Columbia - Liberal Leader - make bio-fuel from sludge

[Maureen Reilly]

Dion likes idea of making bio-fuel from Victoria sewage
Jeff Rud, Times Colonist
Thursday, January 25, 2007

Federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion is keen on the concept of producing 
bio-fuel as a byproduct of Victoria’s pending sewage treatment solution.

Dion met yesterday with Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe and afterward promised to 
be a "very strong partner" for the area if his party is returned to power in 
the next election. An innovative approach to sewage treatment in the Capital 
Region is one area for such collaboration.

"The idea is to change the way we have the sewage [in Victoria] in a way 
that would be admirable in the world, with the capacity to use it for 
bio-gas,’’ Dion said. "I would be a very strong partner for that.’’

The provincial government has given the Capital Regional District until June 
30 to submit final plans for the type, location and cost of sewage treatment 
for the area. Both the federal and provincial governments have committed to 
funding one-third of the project.

One of the concepts being considered is a system capable of taking sludge 
left from sewage treatment, processing it and heating it to produce bio-gas.

Bio-gas is similar to natural gas and with refinement is being used to power 
some vehicles in countries such as Sweden.

"It’s the kind of very, very constructive project that would be possible if 
I had my plan implemented for Kyoto for climate change,’’ Dion said. "There 
is a way to bring the environment and the economy together — we have seen 
it.’’

Lowe said the two discussed opportunities for resource recovery that 
Victoria will have "as we pursued sewage treatment within the region.’’

"I wanted to make it clear that we as a region would want a [federal] 
commitment for not only the sewage treatment facility but for all of the 
infrastructure that has to bring sewage to the facility because that could 
be, at times, as expensive as the facility itself,’’ Lowe said.

Dion challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday to start a "carbon 
credit" system immediately with "demanding but affordable [greenhouse gas] 
reductions for industry.’’

He said such a system might allow industry to assist municipalities in 
producing bio-gas from sewage in exchange for "Kyoto credits’’ and "could 
become a strong partner for your mayor.’’

"I will do it as I am the prime minister and this will be a great help for a 
city like Victoria.’’

Dion said a Liberal government led by him would work to ease the related 
problems of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. The Liberals 
would also do more to help "the addictive people" he said.

That could include allowing a safe-injection site for drug addicts somewhere 
in Victoria if the city is in favour, Dion said.

The Liberal leader criticized Harper for putting the future of Vancouver’s 
safe-injection site in jeopardy. The Conservatives have said they will allow 
it to operate until the end of this year while they determine its fate.

"I don’t understand why the Prime Minister decided to postpone the funding 
for that,’’ Dion said. "All the reports we have received are positive. The 
danger of people to be killed by overdose is decreased, more people are 
asking for help than before, so it’s positive. Why is he not supporting it? 
It was a pilot project that succeeded. And if it’s a success, indeed, we may 
try to have more of this kind of solution elsewhere in the country.’’

When asked specifically about allowing such a site in Victoria, Dion 
responded: "Everything that I have seen up to now shows that we may repeat 
the experience elsewhere and if Victoria is willing to try it, since it 
succeeded in Vancouver, I would be inclined to say yes.’’

Victoria wants to set up a supervised injection site as part of a 
four-pillar approach to drug addiction. But Lowe said the city has been 
stalled by the current federal government’s refusal to provide any more 
exemptions for such sites.