Mayor of Quinte West Jim Harrison. (Photo: Quinte News)
The Mayor of Quinte West is not happy with the federal Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans.
Mayor Jim Harrison says that the ministry terminated previously approved permits that allow for the installation of an underwater
sewer pipe from west Trenton to the east end.
The installation of the expanded wastewater line was to have occurred this summer.
The various permit approvals for the pipeline came back in 2013 but now the ministry wants the permits recirculated in another approvals process.
The project details have to be shared again with First Nations and anyone else concerned.
Harrison says the ministry’s actions are ridiculous. “What’s changed in the last few years? Sure, the ministry has given us an extension to get
the project done until the end of December but this could end up costing us more money because there might be more problems working in colder
weather.”
However, on a positive note, he added that ministry officials said the new approvals should come quickly.
The city has set aside around $17 million for the project and pumping stations have been constructed and all that’s left to do is run the pipe across the mouth of the Trent River.
