Eby fails to act on North Shore sewage scandal, says Fontaine

Despite the power to act, Eby lacks political will to get to the bottom of North Shore sewage plant scandal

David Eby, the Attorney General of British Columbia, has been accused of failing to take action on the ongoing sewage scandal at the North Shore wastewater treatment plant. The accusation was made by Andrew Wilkinson, the former leader of the BC Liberal Party, who said that Eby had the power to launch an independent investigation into the scandal but has chosen not to do so.

The scandal came to light in 2020 when it was revealed that the plant had been releasing millions of litres of untreated sewage into the Burrard Inlet for years. The plant is operated by Metro Vancouver, a regional government body that is responsible for providing water, sewage, and other services to the Vancouver area.

An independent investigation into the scandal was launched by Metro Vancouver in 2021. The investigation found that the plant had been releasing untreated sewage into the Burrard Inlet for years, and that Metro Vancouver had failed to take adequate steps to address the problem.

In response to the investigation, Metro Vancouver has agreed to take a number of steps to improve the operation of the plant, including investing in new equipment and hiring more staff. However, Wilkinson said that these steps are not enough and that an independent investigation is needed to get to the bottom of the scandal.

"The people of the North Shore deserve to know what happened and who is responsible," Wilkinson said. "An independent investigation is the only way to get to the truth and ensure that this never happens again."

Eby has said that he is not convinced that an independent investigation is necessary. He said that the investigation launched by Metro Vancouver is already underway and that he will wait for the results of that investigation before deciding whether or not to launch his own investigation.

However, Wilkinson said that Eby's inaction is unacceptable. He said that Eby has the power to launch an independent investigation and that he should use that power to get to the bottom of the scandal.

"The people of the North Shore deserve better than this," Wilkinson said. "Eby needs to stop dragging his feet and launch an independent investigation into this scandal."