Mill Bay – Dear Minister Pollack: I understand from the news on CBC radio that you agreed to complete an environmental impact assessment study of the contaminated waste site on the Shawnigan Lake watershed.
As a former scientist with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and as a private consultant, I have designed, conducted and reviewed numerous environmental impact assessment studies.
The reviews of these studies emphasized the incredible variation in their quality. Therefore, can you promise the residents of the Shawnigan Lake area that you will involve the Ministry of Environment specialists – e.g. soil scientists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, water quality experts, biologists, and toxicologists – to develop high quality terms of reference and standards for this important study? Will you also include a literature review on the effectiveness and time required for different soil remediation practices and on the known quality and life span of soil liners?
Thank you and I look forward to your response.
Dr. Linda Gregory
Mill Bay
