As a long time resident of…

As a long time resident of Sault Ste. Marie I am quite concerned about the water quality risks this proposal may impose on the Goulais River. Hopefully other comments have noted the importance of this river to lake sturgeon and pickerel and the contribution these local populations make to efforts to achieve Lake Superior wide restoration of both species. The single biggest threat to these populations has been up until now one of harvest and climate change (drought and flash flooding of spawning and nursery areas).

Now a drop in water quality is being proposed. I ask if the treatment system is capable of removing all the complex chemicals that will get flushed into the river along with treated human waste water. These include pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, personal care products, microplastics, and industrial chemicals. Some pharmaceuticals are know to feminize fish and thereby disrupt population dynamics.

I do not have the means to view the documents describing and supporting this proposal, however I am skeptical that they are robust enough to address these concerns. Certainly much larger communities fail to prevent these chemicals from being flushed with waste water into our watersheds.