Petition opposes waste-water facility near the Battery

A company's plans to treat waste-water from the offshore oil industry in St. John's harbour is not going over well with area residents.

Encanex wants to treat water that's polluted with metals and hydrocarbons at a pier below the Battery neighourhood.

But at least 225 people who live in the area have signed a petition against the proposal.

Artist and filmmaker Anne Troake, a homeowner in the neighbourhood, says she has concerns about emissions from the facility.

Troake questions what Encanex will be processing, and how it will be done.

But company president Alton Payne says Troake's concerns are unfounded.

He says it's a green project that's good for the enviromment and the downtown area.

Payne says processing waste water next to the harbour means it won't have to be trucked across the city for treatment.

He also notes less fuel is used to transport the product, and it eliminates the risk of polluted water spilling from trucks.

Encanex has operations in St. John's and Halifax.

The provincial environment department is expected make a decision on the proposal by Dec. 16.