PETA seals offer to pay for sewage plant
By JEFFREY SIMPSON Staff Reporter
Thu. Aug 20 - 4:47 AM
An American organization is offering cash to help Halifax fix its broken sewage treatment plant.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Mayor Peter Kelly on Wednesday promising unspecified funds — with one condition attached.
"In return, we would just like to rename the plant the Seal Slaughter Stinks Plant," Ashley Byrne, a spokeswoman for PETA, said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C.
She wouldn’t divulge how much money PETA was talking about but denied the proposal was a joke.
"We’re absolutely serious," she said. "Nothing we can think of symbolizes the government’s argument for continuing the seal slaughter than tonnes of raw sewage. If the city wants to contact us, that’s when we can discuss how much funding PETA’s actually willing to offer."
Since the $55-million sewage treatment plant malfunctioned in January, all waste water has been flowing untreated into Halifax Harbour. The facility isn’t expected to be operational until at least next spring. Residents and business owners have complained about foul odours downtown.