Transport Canada has jettisoned its proposal to allow small vessels to dump their sewage tanks within one nautical mile of the shoreline.
The prospect drew strong rebukes from the District of West Vancouver and Vancouver Coastal Health, which struggled with unsafe levels of e. coli at beaches in the summer of 2014.
The federal regulator issued a statement on Wednesday saying Transport Canada is no longer considering the proposal.
“Under current regulation, small vessels are required to discharge their sewage three nautical miles from the shore. As some small vessels are not certified to navigate beyond three nautical miles from shore, consideration was given to stakeholder feedback that would have allowed them to discharge sewage one nautical mile from shore, except in designated sewage areas, to help them comply with the regulations.
From the comments received by stakeholders, this proposal is no longer being considered,” it stated. “Transport Canada continues to listen to proposals from concerned parties in regard to establishing areas in which it would be prohibited for boaters to discharge wastewater.”
News of the plan being flushed is welcomed by West Vancouver and the North Shore’s top public health doctor.
“The District of West Vancouver applauds this decision by Transport Canada because it made no sense to change rules so that potential contaminants to our beaches would be more present rather than less,” said district spokesman Jeff McDonald.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, the North Shore’s medical health officer offered a similar sentiment.
“We’re obviously super happy about it. We were concerned about that change. We’re glad to hear they’re not going to proceed with it. It will help keep our beaches cleaner and more usable,” he said.
