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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-05-06, Page 32Continued from page 1proposed a slightly-differentsolution, saying that Huron Countycould authorize mandatory pump-outs every five years (for example)and that the pumper could be on theHuron County payroll. MacLellan said this would save precious inspector time, with the pumper preparing a report for the Health Unit after every pump-out. This way, he said, inspectors would only be required to make visits to a residence if there is an issue. MacLellan said he would be raising the proposal at the next Huron County council committee of the whole meeting on May 12. Worsell conceded that MacLellan’s idea could work, but said the educational aspect of the Health Unit’s proposal was one of the most important aspects of the entire proposal. “The program is educational in focus and preventative in nature,” Worsell said. “We’re not going to hit them over the head with the building code. If they have an old system and it’s non-compliant, but it works, we’ll leave them alone.” Worsell said that hopefully, the program aims to achieve simple, but regular, inspections that are quick in nature and provide homeowners with some literature and guidance on how to maintain their septic systems. He said that because the program is preventative, it can be hard to see right away. “Prevention can be hard to measure,” Worsell said. “Hopefully down the road we will see the improvements in lake quality and river quality.” And while the program came to Huron County’s municipalities now as an optional user-pay program, Worsell said that he could easily seethe program become mandated bythe Ministry of the Environment inthe next year or so.“This could easily be legislatednext year through source waterprotection,” Worsell said. “This is aimed at protecting ground water and surface water. I think this is one more good step in the right direction.” MacLellan said, however, that he was uncomfortable with the wording that Worsell had been using throughout his presentation, saying that “he hopes” the program would help and that it “might” do the trick. “I was on board with this program, until I learned what could actually be determined by these inspections,” MacLellan said. “I was sold up front, convinced by the sales pitch, but now I’ve got a problem charging ratepayers another $50 per year for something that ‘might’do something for them.” Worsell said he is confident in the program and feels that it can do a lot of good through Huron County, that is, if all of the county’s municipalities buy into the program, which is currently uncertain. In addition, addressing MacLellan’s concerns about costs associated with the program,Worsell said that the cost of an annual inspection could very well go down if all municipalities invest in the program, which again, remains to be seen. Councillor Larry McGrath, however, remained skeptical, saying that having the tank pumped and inspected won’t tell the inspector if the tank is leaking into the environment or transporting toxins to the ground water. “We’re still spinning our wheels here,” he said. “There has got to be abetter way.”Until McGrath could come upwith a better way to carry out theprogram, Councillor Joe Stefflersaid, council should be taking somesteps towards improving water quality. “But until you find a better wayLarry, we have to start somewhere,”Steffler said.The recorded vote by councilresulted in six councillors voting toapprove the program in principle andsix voting to not support the program, thus defeating the motion. In favour of the program wereCouncillors Frank Stretton, AndyFlowers, Bill Siemon, Steffler, andBlaney and Deputy-MayorMacLellan. Mayor Joe Seili, AlvinMcLellan, Orval Bauer, LesFalconer, Bob Fisher and McGrath were against the motion. PAGE 32. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010.Huron East votes against mandatory inspections Healthcare is Changing. Learn How. Have Your Say. The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Wants to Hear From You! Help us achieve our VISION 2013* goal of building a better local healthcare system that ensures: • four open and robust Alliance hospitals • a comprehensive range of the best healthcare services within the Alliance area • opportunities and tools for healthcare professionals to be able to continue to do their best work • a work environment that helps to attract and retain the best and brightest physicians and staff • a true system of care across the Alliance * For more information about VISION 2013 visit www.hpha.ca For more information about our community engagement activities, or to RSVP for a Community Talk, please contact: Michelle Jones at michelle.jones@hpha.ca or 519-272-8210 Ext. 2423 Bracing for contact Austin Clarke from St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School made a run for it with the ball, but was ready for impact on Friday at the third annual Matthew Dinning Memorial rugby tournament at F.E. Madill Secondary School. St. Anne’s lost the contest by a score of 30-10. (Aislinn Bremner photo) Getting creative Shea McLean was just a step ahead of a few Sacred Heart (Walkerton) defenders on Friday at the third annual Matthew Dinning Memorial rugby tournament at F.E. Madill Secondary School. McLean’s Madill squad took the contest by a score of 20-5. (Aislinn Bremner photo)