Clean-up Plan Announced for Crowdis Mountain Septage Facility

The Department of Environment and Labour will step in to remove the Crowdis Mountain septage facility in Middle River, Victoria Co.

The removal of the site was one of three recommendations made by a community liaison committee in July 2006. It was also recommended that the department continue to test and monitor the land around the site. The cleanup will begin immediately and the closure, follow-up monitoring and testing will take place in spring of 2007. A septage facility is where material from septic tanks is treated.

"We've worked hard to consider the recommendations of the committee along with the scientific facts," said Mark Parent, Minister of Environment and Labour. "The department is confident that this plan will effectively deal with the issue and solve the problem."

The department decided it has no basis for proceeding with the recommendation that an alternate water resource be supplied to the four families that use the MacDonald Brook as their water source. An independent assessment found that MacDonald Brook was not contaminated by the septage facility.

The department also recommends that individuals should never drink surface water unless it has been filtered and disinfected to remove naturally occurring parasites, bacteria and viruses. With private water sources, this is a responsibility of the individual home owner or operator.

All septage facilities in the province are approved by the Department of Environment and Labour. They are routinely inspected to ensure that there are no issues or problems that could negatively impact the environment.