Ministry of the Environment…

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Chang, Re: Colacem Canada Inc request for approval (project type: sewage) - EPA Part II.1- sewage The proposed SWM pond is intended to capture runoff from the entire site. lt will most likely capture dust, particulate matter outputs from both the activities on the Site (a cement plant operation) and adjacent quarry (with emissions to nearly double of what they are now). This could most likely have implication of toxic matter releases directly into the Ottawa River via the Charlebois drain that are not monitored by the proposed monitoring program. Potentially harmful substances such as heavy metals, mercury and others toxic pollutant, apart from the 20 % releases coming from the SWM pond, could be released directly into the Ottawa River via the Charlebois drain. This could pollute the Ottawa and Saint-Lawrence Rivers and constitute a very serious public health threat to the population who use the water from these rivers for drinking water. I believe that heavy metals are not filtered by Municipal Water Station downstream. Closer to us, most of the residents along the river side of Bay Road take their water directly from the Ottawa River and have their own water treatment system for their drinking water. Are heavy metals and other toxic substances filtered by residential systems? Will the MOECC conduct ongoing monitoring on the quality of the water and if yes at which frequency and which indicators will be used? The Charlebois drain is an open creek that runs through agricultural lands and between residences on both side of Bay Road. Families live there and some have children who play near this creek or in the water, in the vicinity of the drain discharge into the river. Also, because of the recreational nature of the L'Orignal Bay, many citizens would get in contact with this contaminated water almost everyday of the summer. The Ottawa River has been an important waterway in the history and lite of people of Canada, Ontario and Québec. It has obtained a heritage designation this summer. Any pollution of this river is of faderai jurisdiction, according to the Canadian Constitution Act. Another concern for me a other local resident are the high risk of having our own drill wells contaminated by these heavy metals and other toxic substances, not to neglect the fact that the ongoing dynamite detonation used at the quarry could at any time have a break the bed rock or concrete sump and have these contaminant leaked into the water bed. Hoping that we the population of Champlain will be listen about this about the concerned we have and the negative impact this will have on our health and quality of life, these type of high polluted and large industry should not be allowed close to populated area like our.