Comox residents call for independent inquiry into major sewer spill in May

Comox residents call for independent inquiry into major sewer spill in May

Regional district's projects manager says inquiry decision would be decided by sewage commission

Residents living near a pump station in Comox, B.C., that was the source of a major sewer spill last month are calling for an independent inquiry into the incident.

Colin Eves, representing the residents of Jane Place and Beaufort Avenue, said he plans to appear before the Comox Valley Regional District's sewer commission Tuesday afternoon to put forward the call and highlight the group's ongoing concerns about the project.

"We'd like to see better evidence of proper management structures in place," Eves told CBC News.

"We'd like to see this spill cleaned up properly. We'd like to see the estuary restored to its pre-spill water quality and environmental quality."

The Comox pump station was under construction on May 26 when a temporary bypass pipe failed while being tested, causing a day-long spill of up to 6,000 cubic metres of raw sewage into the Comox Harbour.

Residents and businesses in the Comox Valley were asked to stop using water and flushing their toilets during the incident.

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While most of the Comox Harbour was cleared for water quality a few days later, the area immediately in front of the pump station, near the Comox Marina, is still closed off.

"They didn't do a complete remediation at all from the solids that were left behind," Eves said. "There's still personal hygiene products that are solid and sitting in the estuary."

Charlie Gore, the CVRD's senior manager of capital projects delivery, said remediation efforts to the foreshore in front of the pump station have been hampered because it is an archaeologically and environmentally sensitive area.

"We are very hesitant to go in there with large machinery as it could do serious damage to the cultural heritage, as well as to the sensitive ecosystem," he said.

Gore said efforts to clean the area were employed immediately after the spill, and now staff are observing the water quality and the tides to see if nature might take its course to gently clean up the area before trying anything else.

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As for the request for an independent inquiry, Gore said that was unknown to CVRD staff.

He said the main contractor for the site, Maple-Knappett joint venture, is currently leading the investigation.

"The need for an independent investigation, I feel, is dependent on the outcomes of the [Maple-Knappett] investigation," Gore said. "If the outcome is very clear to everybody then I don't think an independent investigation may be warranted."

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A recent staff report on the incident said the cause of the spill was the failure of pipe coupling as part of a temporary pump setup, Gore said. The bypass system was undergoing testing when it failed.

Gore said a decision on an independent inquiry would be made by the sewage commission, not CVRD staff.

Eves said he and his neighbours question the crews' response to the spill, wondering why berms weren't put in place until hours after sewage started leaking.

"We didn't see much evidence of a plan," he said. "And there were no signs of any equipment on site until four or five hours after the spill."

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But Gore said that assertion shows a misunderstanding of the topography of the foreshore.

A natural lagoon near the pump station had been closed in, he said, and putting in berms at low tide could have made matters worse.

Maryse Zeidler is an award-winning reporter who covers news from Nanaimo and north Vancouver Island. Have a news tip? You can reach her at maryse.zeidler@cbc.ca.