Cleaner, greener, later

The provincial government issued a press release on Monday titled “Nova Scotians benefit from cleaner environment, greener economy.” The release touted amendments to the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act tabled by Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau.

“Nova Scotians have clearly told us that they want their environment protected for future generations,” Belliveau was quoted as saying in the release. “As a fisherman who lived through the cod moratorium, I know the importance of balancing economic prosperity with environmental protection to ensure opportunities exist for future generations. That’s what this bill is about.”

Given the title of the release and the positive tone of Belliveau’s comments, it was somewhat counterintuitive that one of the changes to the act is that the province is granting municipalities more time to meet the newest municipal drinking water and wastewater system standards.

That might be realistic, but it’s not positive. It’s an admission that some Nova Scotians will have to wait longer for a “cleaner environment.”

Nova Scotia municipalities were supposed to have their drinking water systems up to snuff by 2008. And the previous target date for upgraded wastewater systems was 2017. The province’s new deadline for both is 2020.

As Liberal environment critic Andrew Younger suggested, that amendment doesn’t really mean anything in practical terms. Some municipalities already missed the drinking water system upgrade deadline by four years. And the province won’t impose penalties if the new targets aren’t met.

The federal government, on the other hand, could impose penalties. So, it’s heartening to hear Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Cecil Clarke champion the need for a comprehensive plan to meet the CBRM’s wastewater requirements — and other infrastructure obligations — as well as the need to negotiate with the provincial and federal governments.

It’s also reassuring to hear Belliveau suggest that the usual practice of the three levels of government costsharing infrastructure work equally is not reasonable in the case of the CBRM’s wastewater requirements, which are expected to cost more than $400 million. Even onethird of that figure would be crippling for the municipality.

But the work must be done — not strictly because the feds require it — but because it’s the right thing to do environmentally. And with the tar ponds cleanup wrapping up, another $400-million multi-year project would have the potential to maintain that flow of significant government dollars to the benefit of the local economy, as long as CBRM taxpayers aren’t left holding the bag.

Ideally, the CBRM will meet its wastewater requirements by 2020. That deadline warrants a sense of urgency. But meeting it is also going to take careful planning and negotiating. It’s good to hear that our political representatives — at least on the municipal and provincial levels — are prioritizing both.