St. Lawrence River sewage dump will get environmental OK, Coderre predicts

Mayor Denis Coderreisshruggingoff federal concerns about the city's plan toto dump eight billionlitres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River, saying he's confident that it's the best option.

Earlier Mondayfederal Infrastructure Minister DenisLebeljoinedthe chorus of doubters aboutMontreal's plan.

"We are very concerned with thesituation aroundMontreal's decision to dump wastewater in the St. Lawrence River,"Lebelsaid in a statement.

"Yeah, like this governmenton the environment is important," fired back Coderre at a news conference hours later.

• Montreal to dump 8 billion litres of sewage in the St.Lawrence
• St. Lawrence raw sewage dump on hold after public outcry

Coderrequestioned Lebel wading into the debate.

"Are you telling me Mr.Lebelwant to play politics with this file,"Coderredasked reporters.

Environment Canada says it is still conducting researchand assessing the "potential implications" ofthe City ofMontreal's plan to dumpwasterwaterinto the river.

The city is expecting the ruling in the coming days.

"At the end of the day I think it's at the administration level, it factual, and we've done this before," Coderre said, referring to 2003 and 2007, when Montreal was allowed to make similar sewage dumps.

"I want to reiterate thatthe optionwe chose today,we had no other choice. We looked at all angles."

The new dump is necessary as the city rebuilds the riversideBonaventure Expressway.

As a result, the city plans totemporarilydivert a sewer interceptor, which would seeeight billion litres ofwastewater dumped into the river for a week starting Oct. 18.

Environment Canada still assessing plan

In a statement on Sunday,Environment Canada spokeswoman Barbara Harvey said Environment Canada is in communication with the City of Montreal, "gathering information and assessing the potential implications,"

• Montreal's St. Lawrence River sewage dump slammed by U.S. state senator
• St. Lawrence River sewage dump petition gets thousands of signatures

"I can tell you that under theWastewater Systems Effluent Regulations,Environment Canada cannot authorize this type of wastewater deposit.TheFisheries Actprohibits unauthorized deposits of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish," she said.

The plan has sparkedcriticism far and wide, including south of the border.

New York senator Patty Ritchiesent a letter to theInternational Joint Commission the group tasked with protecting the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to look into the plan.

"While I realize that the dumping will occur in Canadian waters, downstream from any U.S. communities, I am very concerned by the precedent Montreal is setting for other communities along the St. Lawrence and the lakes," she wrote.

City waiting onapproval

The city acknowledged over the weekend that it is indeed waiting forEnvironment Canada's decision to know whether it can proceed with the plan.

"Yes, it takes an authorization, that's why we asked for it," said city spokeswomanValrie De Gagn.

Sylvain Ouelletfrom the city's opposition party Projet Montralsaid Environment Canada hasn't authorized the dump but it hasn't not authorized the dump either.

"It leaves it open to interpretation. Is it a definite no? Or is it a'No, we haven't got the final analysis'?" Ouellet asked.

Petition seeks alternatives

Over the weekend, Xavier Nonnenmachercreated apetition called"The St. Lawrence is not a garbage" to try to stop the dump.It hassince collected more than 50,000 signatures.

He told CBC Daybreak on Monday thathe plans to give the petition to the mayor as soon as possible.

"It's [the biggest river]in Quebec, and many people live with this river, drink the water every day. This is why people are concerned," he said.

The petition is addressed toSorel-Tracy, Que.,Mayor SergePloquin, as well as Montreal MayorDenisCoderreand city hall opposition leaderLucFerrandez.

• See a map of the city's sewer interceptors here