SAS plans 60-hour vigil

CAMPAIGN group Surfers Against Sewage will begin a 60-hour vigil outside Sir Charles Frossard House on Sunday night. It is backing full sewage treatment for the island and campaigns director Richard Hardy hopes being camped outside the States offices will serve as a constant reminder ahead of the House debating the Green Paper on the issue.

The Public Services and Environment departments hosted their second public meeting on the subject at Les Beaucamps School last night, with about 60 people in attendance.

Mr Hardy welcomed the meetings.

'But we're baffled by much of the Green Paper. There seems to be quite a bit of backtracking on agreements made in principle in 1997.'

Then, the States agreed in principle that the island needed a sewage treatment plant.

'My real concern is the level of procrastination on this issue. The States has to grab it by its throat and deal with it,' said Mr Hardy.

'What we're calling for is that next Wednesday, the States makes sure this issue is not just noted but a full debate and decision is had and the timetable accelerated. For far too long, it's been on the back-burner. An acknowledgement should be given that full sewage treatment is what we're aiming to initiate.'

The sit-in outside the front door of Sir Charles Frossard House will begin at 9.30pm on Sunday and run until Wednesday at 9.30am.

'It will keep this issue alive and show that the public wants to see full sewage treatment embraced.'

He added that it would also provide a focal point for the public and give people a chance to add their name to the group's petition.

'We'll be doing something a little special at the Royal Court on the 25 January - something that will put members against the clock.'

During the meeting, ministers and civil servants from the departments ran through the current situation.

Support was given to a proposed waste-water charge and fears were raised about the health implications of discharging sewage into the sea.

Concerns were also voiced about the reclamation of Belle Greve, one of the options raised in the consultation document for the development of a treatment plant.

The Green Paper costs full sewage treatment at about £50m. and Public Services minister Bill Bell maintained that the solution probably lay somewhere between that and the do-nothing option.

'I'm grateful so many people came out to attend our meetings, asked questions and made comments - it's all valuable.'

A decision on when the consultation period will end is set to be made after the States debate. In the meantime, Deputy Bell is urging people to get their views across by writing, phoning, emailing or faxing Public Services, Environment or their deputies.

'I think we've heard views from members of the public who are concerned with the current situation and from those who appear to be satisfied, but we welcome all views. We're listening to them carefully.'

The departments aim to bring their final proposals back to the States within a year.