Metro Vancouver legal battle with contractor may have halted $3.86B wastewater plant review: sources

No one at Metro Vancouver is talking about a secret vote which shelved a review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant and its massive budget overruns, but new information suggests ongoing litigation with a former contractor may have played a role.

Global News emailed all directors, but no one would disclose how they voted. Some said they couldn’t because the meeting was in- camera.

However, sources inside Metro Vancouver have told Global News board members received legal advice encouraging them to suspend the review due to litigation with former contractor Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP.

A motion was then put forward by Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie calling on directors to pause the review. It was seconded by West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager. It passed, although not unanimously.

Acciona is suing for what it says are $250 million in damages and unpaid bills, while Metro Vancouver says the company signed contracts it failed to fulfill. The trial isn’t scheduled to start until 2027.

Critics fear there could be a settlement involving non-disclosure agreements and believe the review could have continued.

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“(Premier) David Eby should be stepping in and asking for that review to continue,” Municipal Affairs Critic MLA Tony Luck said Monday. “There’s no reason for it to be shut down.”

Eby also commented on Monday, saying the province would have to look at the reasoning for the Metro Vancouver board’s decision and how to move forward.

“The bottom line is that Metro Vancouver needs to ensure accountability for taxpayers and we’ll make sure that that happens,” Eby said.

The review was announced in February yet Metro Vancouver says it “has not received, and is not expecting to receive, any invoices from MWGK Independent Review Team, led by Peter Milburn.”

The board added there has been no payment and did not provide an explanation.