Dear Editor:
Re. West Vancouver Too Complacent on Beach Closures, Aug. 27.
Lorne Clarke's letter expresses the growing frustration and anger of many West Vancouver residents regarding the sky-high E. coli count in our beloved beaches this summer. I know that many of us have taken individual action, including contacting our MP John Weston, Vancouver Coastal Health and our mayor and council.
We all know the E. coli spiked after July 17 and that if all nearby sewage plants have in fact been tested for leaks, the cause is most likely a dump from a ship. I was told as much from the Vancouver Coastal Health officer I spoke to about this.
How hard can it be to identify exactly which ships were in the area at that time, and to investigate each of them for a possible dump - accidental or otherwise? And to publicize the outcome?
So far, we appear to have another classic case of passing the buck. Vancouver Coastal Health tell me they can only monitor and not investigate. The municipality says it is not their jurisdiction as it happened in the sea. If the dump happened within city waters, Vancouver Port Authority is responsible; if outside that, Transport Canada is in charge.
Since individual action is not enough, I propose a more unified citizen response. I would love to hear from anyone willing to get involved. Find me through LinkedIn. It's time to demand some answers.
Elaine Grotefeld
West Vancouver
