Spewing Forth Aug 1, 2005

This is not the place to cool off and get a drink on a hot summer day.

The tailing ponds in Lively (just west of Sudbury, Ontario) have also been used for something else. For more than 30 years, the region of Sudbury hasn't had any plan for dealing with the sludge resulting from 9 wastewater treatment plants. So where'd the sludge go? Into Inco's tailing ponds.

Some recent events have turned this into a key local problem:

1. The smell from the tailing ponds has finally become unacceptable for local residents
2. Vale (Inco) decided that by the end of 2012, it will no longer allow the dumping

Unfortunately, the problem of dealing with this waste was never considered — or planned for — over the past 30 years. As of 2010, the city still doesn't have a solution for this problem. The obvious solution — building a treatment plant — unfortunately also comes with a $35 million price tag.