June 11, 2010
This month's E-newsletter
features highlights from the recent community clean-up event,
Amherstburg's waste water treatment plant upgrades, and the negotiations
of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Keep on reading below to
find out about these great topics!
Summer is just around the
corner and so are plenty of events around the county. Make sure you
check out the 'Save the Date' section below.Why not celebrate summer at
the June 19th summer solstice event at Sanson Estate Winery? Perhaps
you'd prefer to participate in the Turkey Creek Canoe Race and Cleanup.
There's something for everyone.
Remember, we love to hear from you! Please email
your environmental events/news or newsletter suggestions. Depending on
timing, we can include your event in our newsletter or on our events calendar.
Natalie Green, RAP Coordinator
postmaster@detroitriver.ca
Did you know??
...that when you wash your car in the driveway all of the soap, scum and oily grit runs along the curb into a storm drain and directly to a creek, river or lake. This causes pollution that is unhealthy for fish and contaminates our drinking water sources.
Tips to wash your car AND keep our waters clean:
- Take your car to a commercial car wash that recycles the water and sends dirty water to the sanitary sewer (where it will get treated)
- If you must wash your car at home, use soap sparingly and use a hose nozzle with a trigger to save water.
- Pour the bucket of soapy water in the sink, not the street.
Over 100 tires pulled from Black Oak Heritage Park Area
nks are owed to
the 13 volunteers that offered their time to clean-up a portion of a
drain that leads to the Detroit River adjacent to Broadway Avenue and
Black Oak Heritage Park in Windsor. The volunteers worked diligently to collect 105 discarded tires and two full dumpsters of garbage including two television sets, a couch and loveseat, a boat hull, exercise equipment, fluorescent light bulbs, construction materials and a lot of other debris. The public is reminded not to dump illegally in drains or empty woodlots. For information about how to dispose of household waste such as used tires, contact the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority(www.ewswa.org).
The protection and enhancement of our Detroit River and its watershed through environmental efforts such as clean-ups help enhance the quality of life for residents, makes the region more attractive to visitors and ensures a sustainable natural legacy for future generations.
The event was sponsored by Detroit River Canadian Cleanup (DRCC), City of Windsor, Essex Region Conservation Authority and Windsor Port Authority.
Click here to view additional photos of the event
$34 Million Waste Water Treatment Plant to be completed by June 2012
AMHERSTBURG - The town officially broke ground on the new sewage treatment plant Friday, June 4, 2010 touting environmental benefits and potential economic growth during the ceremony.
The $34 million project - $29 million for actual construction with the remainder being for engineering and contingency costs - was the subject of a $10.6 million COMRIF grant from the federal and provincial governments in 2006. Essex MP Jeff Watson said it was the largest grant the town had received at the town, since surpassed by the $16 million grant for the new recreation complex and the $11.3 million for the urban renewal project.The current Amherstburg sewage plant is the last primary treatment plant along the Canadian shores of the Great Lakes. When capacity is reached after a heavy rain, it bypasses the plant and discharge directly into the Detroit River. The new, expanded plant will be upgraded to secondary treatment which provides a much cleaner treated product when it is discharged from the plant.
The Waste Water Treatment Plant will be ready in June 2012. It is located at the site of the current plant on Sandwich St. S. near the public works yard.
The town worked with the engineering firm CH2M Hill on the design of the plant with Facca Construction of Maidstone building it. The new plant will have an administration and control building and a two-storey headworks and dewatering building that will incorporate screening, grit removal, septage receiving, alum addition, a sludge dewatering centrifuge and a truck loading bay. There will also be twin primary and secondary clarifiers with chain-and-flight sludge scrapers, twin three-pass aerated bioreactors fed by turbine blowers and equipped with fine bubble diffusers, an ultraviolet disinfection building, an emergency diesel generator to maintain treatment processes during a power outage and "aesthetically pleasing" landscaping.
Modified from an article by Ron Giofu, Amherstburg Echo
Public Comments needed for the Canada-U.S. GLWQA Negotiations
Right now Canada and the
United States are accepting comments on issue-specific aspects of the
Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), from toxics to climate change to
invasive
species. Help ensure a new Agreement reflects current concerns and
solutions,
and challenge the two countries to protect this vital ecosystem for
centuries
to come by making your voice heard.
Visit www.binational.net to obtain more information about
the GLWQA Negotiations.
The public is encouraged to submit
written comments online until July, 9, 2010. Visit:
http://binational.net/glwqa_2010_comments_e.html
Check out these Detroit River-related articles
Detroit River
Showing New Signs of Life
From bald eagles to lake sturgeon,
native wildlife is making a dramatic
return in what might be considered the unlikeliest of places -- the
waters and shores of the Detroit River.
Click on the link below
to read an interesting article with an interactive video about the
Detroit River. After you've read the article and viewed the video, click
on 'The Animals' at the top to view an interactive map containing
information about Detroit River wildlife. Then, to learn about Detroit
River issues click on 'Persistent Threats'.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100408/METRO/4080417#ixzz0qTrMSw7X
Source:
The Detroit News
Angler lands a 51.5" Muskellunge from
the Detroit River
Jon Bondy, a Windsor fishing guide, caught
this 51.5" muskie in the Detroit
River using casting and jigging methods rather than trolling (usually
done in Lake St. Clair). Click on the link below to
read the full article in the
Detroit
Free Press.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100610/SPORTS10/6100438/1356/SPORTS/Windsor-mans-method-for-muskies&template=fullarticle
Source:
The Detroit Free Press
Save the Date...
for these upcoming events
Point Pelee National
Park Habitat Restoration Project
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - 9 am to 12 pm
To register, contact pelee.info@pc.gc.ca or 519-322-2365 x229.
Climate Change - A workshop for Community Activists
Friday, June 18, 2010 - 9am to 12:50pm
All Saints Hall, City of Windsor Square, Windsor, ON
For more details, click here. To register go to Canadian Social Forum at socialforum.ca.
Summer Solstice Event
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 12 noon to 4 pm
Join the Essex County Stewardship Network and Sanson Estate Winery for their 5th Summer Solstice Celebration from 12pm to 4pm as they welcome the season and some special guests. Sanson Estate Winery is located at 9238 Walker Road, Amherstburg, Ontario (just south of McGregor).
A nature expert, Dr. Dan Loncke, will offer a rare opportunity to visit some of the winery's 38 acres of protected land. Dr. Dan, a retired veterinarian and avid birder, will share his knowledge about the winery's unique habitat and the different animal species that have made the farm their home.
At 2:30 pm the Canadian Raptor Conservancy will feature a Birds of Prey flying display. See hawks, owls, and falcons up close.
Enjoy the outdoors, complimentary BBQ, and sample their newly released award winning wines. The 2008 Baco Noir Reserve will be joined by a limited release of our 2007 Syrah and their all new Autumn Harvest Vidal which is sporting a brand new bottle and cap!
This event is for the whole family. Rain or Shine.
Contact 519-354-4437 for more information.
Download the poster
Frank and Poet Shoreline Restoration Project
Dedication
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 10 am
Download the poster
Detroit River Canadian Public Advisory Council Meeting
Monday, June 21, 2010 - 5:30 pm to 8 pm (Windsor Airport Conference Room)
For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Natalie at postmaster@detroitriver.ca or 519-982-3722.
8th Annual Turkey Creek Canoe
Race and Cleanup
Saturday, June 26, 2010 - Race time: 1 pm
(sharp)
Join the Friends of Turkey Creek for their 8th Annual Turkey Creek Canoe Race & Cleanup on Saturday, June 26, 2010 at Vince Marcotte Park, LaSalle. Cost is $10/person or $20/team.
Enter the park from LaSalle Street. Registration begins at noon. Race start time is 1:00 pm sharp!
If you have a canoe or other non-motorized watercraft, please feel free to bring it.
Please bring your own PFD (life jacket), bailer, line & whistle. For those without, a limited number of canoes and associated gear will be available on a first come, first served basis.
This event is rain or shine. A FREE barbecue lunch will be available at noon for all participants.
For more information, please contact Caroline, Friends of Watersheds Organizer, at 519-776-5209, ext. 245 or cbiribauer@erca.org.
CAW Local 200 & 444 Yellow Fish Road Event
Saturday, August 21, 2010 - 10 am to 12 noon
Join the CAW Local 200 and 444 as they create awareness about storm water pollution by painting yellow fish next to storm drains and distribute flyers in the neighbourhood around their Union Building. Rain date: August 28, same time, same location.
The Yellow Fish Road Program is sponsored by Trout Unlimited Canada.
Download the poster
Detroit River Fall Dinner Cruise
Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 6 pm to 9 pm
For more information, please contact the Friends of the Detroit River (U.S.) at www.detroitriver.org.
Environmental Job Postings
These postings are for jobs at various locations. Please click on the job title to view job details. Contact the listed agency in the job ad for more information. Note: the links will expire soon after the deadline has passed. Note: the links will expire after the deadline closes.
- Supervisor, Community Outreach (Mississauga, ON)
Deadline: June 14, 2010 - Director, Conservation Lands (Burlington, ON)
Deadline: June 16, 2010 - Aquatic Science Biologist II (Various locations, BC)
Deadline: June 17, 2010
- St. Mary's River Remedial Action Plan Coordinator (Sault Ste.
Marie, ON)
Deadline: June 18, 2010 - Reforestation Technician (Toronto, ON)
Deadline: June 20, 2010 - Water Management Technician (Toronto, ON)
Deadline: June 20, 2010 - Scientist - Scientific and Technical Services,
Scientific Assessments and Analysis (Ottawa, ON)
Deadline: August 31, 2010
|
email: postmaster@detroitriver.ca |