Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-08-29, Page 6Page 6 The Huron sitor • August 29, 2007 News Huron East still in process of testing wells to determine best water source for Seaforth Aaron Jacklin Huron East council has decided to go with the more expensive and lengthier option for testing the production wells at the Welsh Street site to guard against some- thing going wrong during the tests. The shorter, cheaper option would put them on such a tight timeline that if they ran into a snag at the 'wrong point in a test, there wouldn't be enough time to start over and they would have wasted time and money while try- ing to save both. That's the decision council came to last week after grappling with the two different options. "There are two categories of per- mits to take water that we can apply for," explained Clerk - Administrator Jack McLachlan. "One - `category 2' - has an appli- cation fee of $750 and takes about two days to prepare the applica- tion and allows you permission to take water at a certain rate for up to seven days." There is also a `category 3' per- mit with an application fee of $3,000. "It takes anywhere from seven to 10 days to submit the applica- tion." McLachlan said that while it's possible to get the permit for up to 10 years, they'd be "hard pressed" to get the full 10 years. He said they could probably get three or four years. "There's actually four tests the engineers would like to see done. Each of those tests take up to 72 hours, which is three days." The four tests will determine if the wells have sufficient quality and quantity to be brought into production. Huron East council has been looking for another water source in Seaforth since the Chalk Street well was closed in October of 2002 when unaccept- ably high levels hunches of radioactive elements including radon, radium and uranium were found in the water. A month later, the Ministry of the Environment told Huron East that Seaforth's only operating well - the Welsh Street well - needs corrective action because it is "under the direct influence of surface water" or a GUDI well. McLachlan said if they applied for two category -2 permits to take water, it would cost $1,500 plus whatever the engineers would charge for the two or three days it would take to prepare the applica- tions. McLachlan said that with the cost of preparing the application taken into account, they'd proba- bly be looking at $3,500 total. "That does not include doing any more testing at the Centennial Street well. At the last water and sewer meeting there was a request the board approved that we should go back up and do maybe a 30 day test at the Centennial Street well." The results of such a test would help them decide if they could bring that well into production. He said that the problem with MUNICIPALITY OF HURON EAST CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES COMMUNITY OF SEAFORTH NOTICE OF STUDY COMPLETION The Municipality of Huron East is planning to upgrade municipal water supply facilities in the community of Seaforth to resolve deficiencies with the existing system and to address the short and long-term needs of the community. A new well field has been estab- lished at the northwest end of Seaforth, adjacent to the existing Welsh Street well supply. Preliminary testing indicates that the well field provides good -quality water at sufficient capacities to service both the community's current and future needs. HURON EAST The project is following the planning process set out for Schedule B activities under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) document Schedule B projects are approved subject to a screening process which involves consultation with the public and review agencies to ensure the project can be carried out in an environmentally -sound manner. The screening process has been completed for this project. There were no nega- tive impacts identified with the proposed works that could not be mitigated. A Screening Report has been prepared to document the study process. The report will be available for public review at the Huron East Municipal Office (during normal business hours). It will also be posted on the municipal website: www.huroneast.corrt. For further information on this project, please contact the consulting engineers: B.M. Ross and Associates, 62 North Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 2T4. Telephone (519) 524-2641. Fax (519) 524-4403. Attention: Kelly Vader, Environmental Planner (e-mail: kvader@bmross.net). If environmental concerns arise regarding this project, which cannot be resolved m dis- cussion with the Municipality, a person or party may request that the Ministry of the Environment make an order that the project comply with Part 11 of the Environmental Assessment Act, which addresses individual environmental assessments. Requests must be received by the Minister, at the address below. within 30 calendar days of this Notice. A copy of the request must also be sent to the Project Engineers at the address noted above. If no such request is received by September 28, 2007, the Municipality intends to proceed with the project as plumed. Minister of the Environment 135 St Clair Avenue 10th Hoot, Iamb, ON M4V 1P5 This Notice booed As 29, 2007 last uld.cilso, Clok-Admiimato r, Municipality of lino East applying for two category -2 tests is that it puts them on a very tight timeframe with only two extra days. "If you're in the third day of doing a test and something goes mechanically wrong, you go back to day one and start over," he said, noting that a test of the Centennial Street well wouldn't be done under that scenario. He said there's about $8,000 or $9,000 difference between the two options: two category -2s or one category -3. McLachlan also said there would be an additional 10 to 15 days to submit the application for a category -3 permit and another 20 days to hear back. "So we're into another month delay," he said. "Who mandates how frequently you test (a well) before it goes into production?" asked Seaforth Coun. Bob Fisher. McLachlan said they just have to test to make sure the well is good enough to be put into pro- duction. He said the test is to look at the quantity of water available and to sample the water at one, 33 and 72 hours. "Out of the three wells up there, they want to do four additional tests," he said. "Which requires four permits?" asked Fisher. "No, we can get it in under two as long as we don't have anything go wrong," said McLachlan, not- ing the application would be gen- eral enough they could test from whichever well they need. "That's going to give you three days to do your test and then it gives you three days to do your second test," he said. The potential problem with that is if something goes wrong on the second or third day of a test. "You haven't got enough time to repeat that test," he explained. Council decided to apply •for a category -3 perm,it. According to Public Works Coordinator Barry Mills in a tele- phone interview on Monday, appli- cations are being prepared. They will conduct tests after getting approval and if the results come back as expected, they will move on to the design and construction phase, with ten- ders being accepted in early spring and construction starting shortly after. H. REID ALLEN I I I? \I 11 Id I;! 1( ) \Illi\ ,\ I;l I I\l•lli\t, Pkk-up & delivery REFERENCES PROVIDED 519-527-2717 St. Thomas St. James Roman Anglican Church Catholic Church AcaveponcihopiishdrheHoksprt Welcomes you Jarvis St. Seaforth 519-527-1522 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth Sunday Sept. 2 519-527-0142 Parish Worship at 9:30am Sunday Mass 11:00 am KldZor» Sunday School 9:30 a.m. St. Patricia', Dublin Sat. Mass 5 pm - Sun. Mass 9 am EVERYONE WELCOME Fr. Chris Gillespie Bethel Bible Church Egmondville An Associated Gospel Church United -Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Sunday Sept. 2- Sunday Worship 10:00 am Pastor Steve Hildebrand Pastor Mark Kennedy Summer Hours - 10:30 a.m. EVERYONE WELCOME EVERYONE WELCOME NORTHSIDE UNITED First Presbyterian CHURCH Church 64 Goderich St. W. Goderich St. W., Seaforth Rev. John Goi1d Rev. Henry Huberts Sunday Sept. 2 Sunday Sept. 2 Worship 11 am 11:15am Service Sermon: Knowing the Stmdey School Risen Christ $ Nursery Provided Ewryw» waloort s. Everyone welcome of radioactive elements including radon, radium and uranium were found in the water. A month later, the Ministry of the Environment told Huron East that Seaforth's only operating well - the Welsh Street well - needs corrective action because it is "under the direct influence of surface water" or a GUDI well. McLachlan said if they applied for two category -2 permits to take water, it would cost $1,500 plus whatever the engineers would charge for the two or three days it would take to prepare the applica- tions. McLachlan said that with the cost of preparing the application taken into account, they'd proba- bly be looking at $3,500 total. "That does not include doing any more testing at the Centennial Street well. At the last water and sewer meeting there was a request the board approved that we should go back up and do maybe a 30 day test at the Centennial Street well." The results of such a test would help them decide if they could bring that well into production. He said that the problem with MUNICIPALITY OF HURON EAST CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES COMMUNITY OF SEAFORTH NOTICE OF STUDY COMPLETION The Municipality of Huron East is planning to upgrade municipal water supply facilities in the community of Seaforth to resolve deficiencies with the existing system and to address the short and long-term needs of the community. A new well field has been estab- lished at the northwest end of Seaforth, adjacent to the existing Welsh Street well supply. Preliminary testing indicates that the well field provides good -quality water at sufficient capacities to service both the community's current and future needs. HURON EAST The project is following the planning process set out for Schedule B activities under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) document Schedule B projects are approved subject to a screening process which involves consultation with the public and review agencies to ensure the project can be carried out in an environmentally -sound manner. The screening process has been completed for this project. There were no nega- tive impacts identified with the proposed works that could not be mitigated. A Screening Report has been prepared to document the study process. The report will be available for public review at the Huron East Municipal Office (during normal business hours). It will also be posted on the municipal website: www.huroneast.corrt. For further information on this project, please contact the consulting engineers: B.M. Ross and Associates, 62 North Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 2T4. Telephone (519) 524-2641. Fax (519) 524-4403. Attention: Kelly Vader, Environmental Planner (e-mail: kvader@bmross.net). If environmental concerns arise regarding this project, which cannot be resolved m dis- cussion with the Municipality, a person or party may request that the Ministry of the Environment make an order that the project comply with Part 11 of the Environmental Assessment Act, which addresses individual environmental assessments. Requests must be received by the Minister, at the address below. within 30 calendar days of this Notice. A copy of the request must also be sent to the Project Engineers at the address noted above. If no such request is received by September 28, 2007, the Municipality intends to proceed with the project as plumed. Minister of the Environment 135 St Clair Avenue 10th Hoot, Iamb, ON M4V 1P5 This Notice booed As 29, 2007 last uld.cilso, Clok-Admiimato r, Municipality of lino East applying for two category -2 tests is that it puts them on a very tight timeframe with only two extra days. "If you're in the third day of doing a test and something goes mechanically wrong, you go back to day one and start over," he said, noting that a test of the Centennial Street well wouldn't be done under that scenario. He said there's about $8,000 or $9,000 difference between the two options: two category -2s or one category -3. McLachlan also said there would be an additional 10 to 15 days to submit the application for a category -3 permit and another 20 days to hear back. "So we're into another month delay," he said. "Who mandates how frequently you test (a well) before it goes into production?" asked Seaforth Coun. Bob Fisher. McLachlan said they just have to test to make sure the well is good enough to be put into pro- duction. He said the test is to look at the quantity of water available and to sample the water at one, 33 and 72 hours. "Out of the three wells up there, they want to do four additional tests," he said. "Which requires four permits?" asked Fisher. "No, we can get it in under two as long as we don't have anything go wrong," said McLachlan, not- ing the application would be gen- eral enough they could test from whichever well they need. "That's going to give you three days to do your test and then it gives you three days to do your second test," he said. The potential problem with that is if something goes wrong on the second or third day of a test. "You haven't got enough time to repeat that test," he explained. Council decided to apply •for a category -3 perm,it. According to Public Works Coordinator Barry Mills in a tele- phone interview on Monday, appli- cations are being prepared. They will conduct tests after getting approval and if the results come back as expected, they will move on to the design and construction phase, with ten- ders being accepted in early spring and construction starting shortly after. H. REID ALLEN I I I? \I 11 Id I;! 1( ) \Illi\ ,\ I;l I I\l•lli\t, Pkk-up & delivery REFERENCES PROVIDED 519-527-2717