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13 November 2008 Mining may matter in Nova Scotia, but so does the environment, says Tamara Lorincz , executive director of the Nova Scotia Environment Network. Ms. Lorincz said Wednesday that the recent Mining Matters conference in Halifax ignored the industry’s environmental and social impacts. "We think it’s a missed opportunity," she said in an interview. "There was no framework on mining and sustainability." The conference, hosted by the provincial Natural Resources Department, included presentations by Nova Scotia mining companies on their various projects in the province, in other parts of Canada and around the world. The network’s mining caucus, which expressed concern about a lack of environmental content at last year’s conference, sent a letter to the Natural Resources Department in August asking to be included this year, but the request was turned down. The caucus represents a dozen environmental and community groups including the Ecology Action Centre, the Sierra Club of Canada, Citizens Against Strip Mining, the Avon Peninsula Watershed Preservation Society, West Annapolis Valley Ecological Society and Eastern Shore Forest Watch. "We asked for 15 minutes but were told the agenda was set," said Ms. Lorincz, who said the agenda wasn’t posted on the department website at that time. Jocelyne Rankin, water co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, said the conference should have addressed mining-related issues like groundwater contamination and suggested that more government oversight of the industry is needed. "There’s a lack of enforcement," she said in an interview. "There needs to be more awareness of environmental issues." Gretchen Fitzgerald of the Sierra Club’s Atlantic chapter called for a more collaborative and ecological approach to mining in Nova Scotia. "The mining application and environmental assessment processes need to be improved so that communities can be better informed of mining operations happening in their area," she said in a release.
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13 November 2008 - With a humungous pit excavated in the backyard and acid mine drainage flowing into the brooks and fishing grounds under government coverup, Pioneer Coal deals with community opposition so there's no complaints:
9 November 2008 On April 27, 2006, the Nova Scotia Minister of Natural Resources announced the Surface Coal Mine Reclamation Enhancement Initiative, through which a scientific research program would investigate how surface coal mine reclamation projects could be developed to support land-use strategies in Nova Scotia communities. The Minister noted that qualified individuals would be invited to sit on a committee representing industry, academia, government, research organizations and public interest groups. The committee’s mandate included site selections for the study, a review of scientific literature, ecological studies, recommendations for test vegetation plots, planting and monitoring of test plots, public consultation and an action plan for re-integrating mine sites into the local environment. Over the past three years, work has been accomplished through a collaborative effort of a number of organizations and interested residents. In 2006-07 preliminary site assessments were made on nine former surface mine sites and the committee established parameters for research required to evaluate past reclamation efforts in Cape Breton County. In 2007-08, comprehensive vegetation surveys began and test plots were established to evaluate the ecological response to a variety of vegetation amendments. In 2008- 09, an innovative trail using “buckwheat” as a green-manure to increase organic matter was initiated and soil amendments were applied to accelerate naturally regenerated growth on a previously reclaimed mine site.
The committee has also found that other jurisdictions in North America have recently gone through a similar evaluation of surface coal mine reclamation methods and the resulting vegetation and ecology. The results of studies in other jurisdictions indicate that the common restoration objective of developing a stable, non-eroding grassland cover may, in fact, delay the subsequent succession of trees and other local plant species. |
To date, the committee has come to the conclusion that previously mined lands will eventually return to
an Acadian Forest ecology. The question of how long it will take for various sites to return to a mature or
climax forest condition is not certain and will require additional surveys at sites reclaimed several decades
ago to help improve predictions.
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POINT ACONI - Strip mining opponents took to a dirt road adjacent to the Nova Scotia Power generating station here Friday to protest huge trucks carrying clay fill from the mine site to the power plant Jean Sawyer, of Citizens Against Strip Mining, said that about two weeks ago, the contractor began hauling clay fill from the mine site down the dirt road Sherie Lee Lane to the Point Aconi generating station, where it is to be used in the construction of a new ash cell at the site. Last week, the road was widened. The large, heavy vehicles being used to transport the material have left deep tire impressions and ruts in the road, leaving it quite muddy in areas. "It wasn't a muddy, torn up dirty track like it is now", Sawyer said. The text of the order in council dated March 12, 2007 per'nits the lease of 61 hectares of Crown land to Pioneer Coal "to develop and operate a surface coal mine and for no other pur,pose, for a term of 10 years:' There were no subsequent orders in council referring to the project on the provincial government website. "You can see right here where they're hauling that that's not coal, that's soil, they're taking the soil from the reclamation project off site to the ash dump;' Sawyer said. "Well, when the time comes to reclaim this to its original state, they're not going to have the soil anymore:' She added the plan to clean up the site once the mine closes is based on factors including the availability of materials. But officials have told her removing the clay fill, also called overburden, from the site doesn't contradict the terms and conditions of the mine's approval. As well, Pioneer Coal can sell off the material as long as the area affected is less than two hectares, under provincial regulations. Environment officials told Sawyer the section is 300 feet by 400 feet, so it falls under that limit. "That's DNR property - Pioneer Coal was given the lease to it, but it says very specifically in the order in council that it was to develop and operate a surface coal mine and for no other purpose, so it wasn't for the purpose of taking over overburden from here to the Nova Scotia Power plant; Sawyer said. The guide for surface coal mine reclamation plans developed by the Department of Environment states that top soil should be preserved for reclamation wherever possible and soil quality should be protected during moving and storage. A portion of the road that runs through the mine site was blocked off to the public last year, but the portion being used this week by the construction trucks was supposed to remain open for public access, Sawyer said, noting the area is home to a popular beach and there are local property owners. As protesters arrived and parked their cars along the side of the road, a number of the large trucks continued to proceed slowly by, but they eventually came to a stop. "It's obviously not safe with all of these construction trucks on it;' she said. "As well, because this is a public road, these off-road construction vehicles aren't even allowed on a public road, so that shouldn't be happening either. It's been going on for two weeks now, we can't get an answer from anybody:" Sawyer said she'd like to see better communication from the mining company and community con- sultation. Gerard Jessome, district director with the Department of Transportation, said Friday afternoon his office has ordered the contractor to take the vehicles off the road, saying the off-road vehicles carry too much weight to be permitted on public roads. The contractor has asked for permission to grade the road, he added. Jessome added he will inspect the road on Monday to determine precisely what is required to restore it to its original condition. Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Davis said staff were made aware of the concerns of residents and are now looking into them. Glennie Langille, spokesperson for NSP, said they've also looked into the concerns briefly and it's the utility's understanding that all appropriate guidelines are being followed. |
25 October 2008
Not exactly news, but as the moratorium on "reclamation" expires in a few months, DNR has been giving presentations and tours of its "well reclaimed sites in the area". Found on the web is a report by the Nova Scotia Prospectors Association about its field trip last October led by geologists from the Department of Natural Resources to their "reclamation" sites at Point Aconi and Little Pond and Florence. As always, what DNR says and what local residents see are two completely different stories: | ||
DNR's tour |
Bird's Eye view |
CASM's tour |
"Our field trip started by going to the area around Point Aconi, to see a site that had been reclaimed and did not look any different than the rest of the area, which was great." |
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"Stop two was the power plant at Point Aconi which takes advantage of the local fuel supply. This plant is the most modern thermal generating station in Nova Scotia and provides lower emissions than older plants of similar size." |
| Huh? The Point Aconi powerplant could not burn the local fuel supply and imports cleaner low sulphur coal and petcoke instead, hence the Prince Mine was closed in 2001. But for the past year, they've been strip mining the high sulphur, high chlorine, high mercury, high ash coal anyway and burning it at the province's power plants and domestic furnaces in violation of the old emission standards much less the new. |
"Stop 3 was at the Pioneer coal site which is doing a great job with the open pit mining / remediation project. This project is doing away with the sink hole problem while mining the coal out and then returning the site to a better state than it was before they started." |
At the rate DNR's Reclamation Study is going, how many generations will it take to return the Point Aconi site's woodlands and wetlands and wildlife and aquifer to "a better state than it was before"? |
Huh?! What sink hole problem? DNR's evidence: |
"Stop 4 was the Lloyd Cove Reclaimed Site. Although there are 11 other well reclaimed sites in the area, this site is held out by activists as an example of reclaimation gone wrong. This site did not look bad anymore. It’s a pity the activists have to use this site and don’t bother showing the other 11 sites where the reclaimation has worked." |
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Huh? Where's Lloyd Cove? Perhaps at Brogan's old site at Point Aconi that was "reclaimed" in 1993. And where are the "11 other well reclaimed sites in the area" pray tell?!!! |
"Stop 5 was the Point Aconi Lighthouse Reclamation. It has a great view of the ocean. (See picture above)" |
| Huh? What "reclamation" at the Point Aconi Lighthouse are DNR's geologists talking about? Good scott, talk about "twisting of events"!
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"Stop 6 was the Green Hills operation which was an active pit which showed a lot of old workings that had been there from the last boot-legged pits. Here we saw how the land was collapsing because of the old workings." |
| This project in Florence was approved in 2000 but was delayed by the need to secure markets. The original time frame was 18 months, but the current plan is to mine approximately 30,000 tonnes of coal annually for four years. A total of 28 acres, excavated to a maximum depth of 60 feet and no blasting involved. |
"Stop 7 was another reclaimed site in Little Pond. This site had a hard being reclaimed mainly because it met strong opposition from local interest groups who thought nothing should be done. Even though the site was a mess before the reclaimation. This included discarded car bodies and garbage, which was also removed." |
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Compare the provincial government's "reclamation" of the Prine Mine in Point Aconi with the federal government's "remediation" of the Princess Mine in Sydney Mines in the past year: 12 August 2008 SYDNEY MINES (CP) — Remediation of 40 hectares of the former Princess Mine site in Sydney Mines is on schedule. First Nations Construction is currently grading and seeding about 5.5 hectares at the southwest end of the site. The tender to cap and cover the waste rock pile from decades of coal mining closes on Sept. 9. It’s expected the new cover will take about 60 weeks to complete. The area that was the washplant, is now a green area with an interpretative park, walking trails and a pond that can be used for skating in the winter months. The goal of the remediation program is to leave former mining sites in a stable, safe condition and return them to their former land use or acceptable alternatives. |
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August 7, 2008 10:38 AM New amendments to the province's Environmental Assessment Regulations will make
them more clear and allow better protection of the environment. |
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The moratorium on “cleaning up” the other sites on DNR’s map expires next April 2009 when strip mining will come on stream across the region and province-wide if something doesn’t drastically change soon.
Show & Tell
View 
14 April 2008 - CASM held a public meeting to inform the public of what to expect in their back yards soon if Nova Scotia's minority Conservative government continues with such destruction based on deceit and a flawed Environment Act. |
April 16, 2008 On Monday, about one hundred people who are involved in the Citizens Against Strip Mining had a public meeting. At that meeting was the leader of the federal Green Party, Elizabeth May. She suggested that maybe civil disobedience might be the next step for the group. Here her conversation with CBC here April 15, 2008 MILLVILLE - About 80 people gathered inside the local community centre, Monday, to express frustration at the fact that an open surface coal mine is operating just a few kilometres away, and several people at the meeting - hosted by Citizens Against Strip Mining suggested they might need to become more militant in their protests. Meanwhile, Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor John Morgan told the crowd the provincial government is treating Cape Bretoners as "second-class citizens" by allowing the mine to proceed in the face of stiff local opposition, and he said the municipal government needs to do everything it can to try to stop strip mining. Morgan publicly said he intends to have a motion passed by CBRM council authorizing him to. take all steps necessary to oppose strip mining, which he said in an interview afterwards will include taking the provincial government to court. CASM spokesperson Jean Sawyer said an appeal of the permit that allowed Pioneer Coal Ltd. of Westville to begin mining the former Prince Mine site in Point Aconi was dismissed by the provincial environment minister, and all other avenues of appeal have been exhausted, except launching a court case. Sawyer said CASM must decide if it wishes to proceed with a court challenge and, if so, it must raise a lot of money. "We have no dollar figure, but you can bet the government will try and depocket us as quickly, as possible" she said. "This municipality is facing a broad-based effort by the provincial government, a broad-based assault by the provincial government;" Morgan said. "The municipal government is really the only defence the people of this community has." He said citizens obviously do not have the financial resources to be able to take a government to court, so the municipal government must step forward. "It's not a bad thing or a negative thing ... that's what the courts are there for;" Morgan said. After a presentation by Michelle Symes that included photos of the mining progress and a history of local citizens opposition to it, several politicians voiced their support for CASM, including Morgan, CBRM Councilor Wes Stubbert, Victoria County Councior Fraser Patterson, Conservative MLA for Victoria-The Lakes Keith Bain, and federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May. A number of residents complained about the dust, noise and especially the blasting from the nearby mine. "Today was even worse than ever; said Gary MacLean, who lives near the mine site. "A picture fell off my mother's wall and broke." Val Fulford, who also lives nearby, said since the blasting started, she has spent $1,000 to get rid of water that has flooded her basement and knocked out her furnace. Several people suggested that the citizens' group might have to start barricading roads to get its' message across. "If we need to occupy the premier's office to bring the message we won't be silenced, I'll be there;. said Sierra Club member Bruno Marcocchio. "You know, it may be coming to that point;' agreed CASM treasurer Russell MacDonald. "I really think were going to have to somehow up it a notch;' said Sharon MacLeod. . CASM member Donna Stubbert said radical action has been discussed in the past, but the group has tried to focus on positive action. However, she said, "you have meeting after meeting, rally after rally, and they don't listen. People are frustrated:' She said CASM will have to have another meeting following the public session in order to discuss its next steps, which could include launching a court appeal and taking stronger protest action. April 16, 2008 MILLVILLE — Do what you have to do. That’s what the leader of the federal Green party told a group of citizens here who have been fighting against the province’s decision to allow strip mining on Boularderie Island. "When I see people who are clearly respectable community leaders . . . in at least (their) middle age standing up and saying they don’t mind going to jail, you know that democracy is letting them down," Elizabeth May said in an interview. "I would hope they turn to symbolic protests, . . . but I think they know if they’re going to get any government attention, (they’re) going to have to do more. "They’ve monitored, they’ve written the letters and they’re simply not being listened to. And the failure of their government to listen is pushing them to take more direct action." About 100 people attended the Monday night meeting organized by Citizens Against Strip Mining, several of whom talked of the damage done to their homes by blasting at the mine. The citizens group has staged largely peaceful protests in the past, members say, but several residents told the room Monday that they felt it was time to take the gloves off. The province gave Pioneer Coal Ltd. the green light to clean up the coal deposits left by the abandoned Prince mine in Point Aconi. To do that, the company has been strip-mining the area, a controversial practice that environmental critics have compared to clear cutting trees. Massive sections of earth are stripped away so that machinery can get at the buried mineral underneath. The soil is later replaced. The citizens group has met with the provincial environment minister and picketed, group member Earl Cantwell said in an interview. "There were some people anxious to block the road and do the whole shooting match, . . . but we wanted to explore every legal avenue before it came to that stage," he said. "But it’s becoming patently obvious that . . . civil disobedience is the only option left. It’s one that we’re averse to taking, but none of us are saying we won’t be taking it." Mayor John Morgan, however, is still looking for legal loopholes that council can enforce. The mayor said he is completely opposed to the project.
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If you want to get a copy of the government's guidelines for a Community Liaison Committee do you click on a link and type in your search and press Enter and bingo! Or do you call Pioneer Coal's chairman of the CLC?! There's "a major disconnect between what there is and what there should be" and clearly the anonymous CLC does not represent the people of this community, and has not established any dialogue whatsoever on the issues of public concern as required by their Terms of Reference. To wit: | |
BEFORE NOW - MARCH 2008 |
Saturday, March 15, 2008 Fraser Patterson, District 5 councillor for Victoria County, could have saved himself some time by calling me. I would have provided him with a copy of the guidelines for a community liaison committee which he found on the Internet (`Liaison' a Pale Shadow of Model, Weekend Feedback, March 8). His description is quite accurate, and I do agree that there is a major disconnect between what there is and what there should be. But this is not the path we wanted to follow; we had no other choice. Nowhere in that document does it say the members of a CLC are required to put up with being insulted in the media at every turn, or with attempts at harassment, intimidation and vandalism. Patterson talks about dissolving and replacing the CLC for the Point Aconi project. If he or any other member of the opposition feels qualified to do a better job, why did they all refuse to dignify the CLC selection process by not applying for the committee? To the best of my knowledge, the opposition was offered a position on the CLC by the minister and it was refused. The verbal diarrhea from the mouths of the opposition is really something to behold. , Meanwhile, politicians - whether NDP, Liberal, Conservative or Green - all get on their soap boxes and tell people what they want to hear. The goal for all of them is the same: to get your vote. At the end of the day, they will follow the same policies and procedures to the letter of the law. So Patterson may go ahead and get the minister to dissolve the CLC or have him reveal the names of our three anonymous members; that will get rid of us for sure. Should that happen, we would all resign, and wouldn't that make opponents happy. The only problem is there would be nobody standing between the people of that area and total disaster. As for consultations with opposition groups - whether Cape Breton regional municipal council, Sierra Club or whatever - at this -point I would not give them the time of day because they are really not worth the effort. Believe it our not, our group is putting forth a real effort on this issue in the interests of the people of that area. Painful as it may be right now, if our efforts are successful this area will be fully remediated and reclaimed. Our goal is that the generations coming behind us will be able to say: Good job, guys. Paul MacDougall of Sydney Mines chairs the community liaison committee for the Point Aconi surface mine operation. |
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10 March 2008 As stated in the Feb. 29 editorial Sloppy Records Raise Red Flags, the environment is of critical importance. The enormous cost of ignoring environmental effects for the sake of jobs can be seen at the tar ponds and coke ovens, and at mining sites across the Sydney coalfields. What happens under the Environment Act affects everyone. The public should be able to have confidence in the environment department's performance but the latest auditor general's report echoes everything that everyone familiar with the department (even its own staff) have been saying for years based on first hand experience. Time and again the people of Boularderie Island, Little Pond and other strip mined communities across this region have seen the minister issue approvals when they should not have been, before specific terms and conditions were met or required financial security obtained, when staff did not verify the accuracy of the proponent's reports and required procedures were not performed, when inspections were not completed and enforcement actions were inadequate to ensure compliance, and when complaints were not followed up. If the Department of Environment and Labour is this "sloppy" 16 years after the Westray mine disaster, how much faith can one have when putting one's life on the line mining under the sea at Donkin? The auditor general's report on the Environment Department ought to be ringing alarm bells, before instead of after any more irreparable damage is done. In a democracy the public has every right to be infuriated by a bureaucracy and a cabinet and premier of a minority government who continue to ignore the concerns and wishes of the overwhelming majority in a regional municipality of more than 100,000 people who know what they're talking about from generations of experience. Sloppy records is no excuse for all the things the environment department did not know about Point Aconi before issuing approval to strip mine healthy woodlands and wetlands at the mouth of the Bras d'Or Lakes under the pretext of cleaning up, especially considering the mountain of submissions from the public and our elected representatives from all levels of government and political parties and community groups to this day. By all accounts, if things had been done right this strip mine would not have been approved. Instead, everything the auditor general says about the environment department is happening here and elsewhere across the province. The public has every reason to have a lack of faith in a department that believes such errors and omissions have not resulted in negative impacts to public health or the environment. One look at the destruction going on at Point Aconi and the steady stream of trucks full of high-sulphur coal headed for Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s high polluting power plants tells quite a different story at this first of 14 proposed strip mines across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. At a recent meeting, the environment department's executive director passed the buck and said this was a political decision by cabinet. Under the environment act, everything is at the minster's discretion. An independent public review of strip mining in Cape Breton could take a deeper and more relevant measure of the quality of the department's performance than the past three years of pickets and parades of concern, and rallies at the Big Fiddle and House of Assembly, and public town halls and meetings with municipal councilors, mayor, MLAs and MPs and First Nations elders, tours to environment ministers and reporters and interested groups, and all the appeals and applications and petitions under the Environment Act, and letters and websites put together have been able to do. Last month regional council moved unanimously to request an independent review, with a moratorium in the meantime. Victoria County Council has aked for a review, area MPs and First Nations representatives support that, opposition parties in the House of Assembly have called for an independent review of strip mining coal on Boularderie Island and two of the region's PC MLAs support that. Obviously there is a lot of merit to the criticisms of Nova Scotia's environmental stewardship, and ignoring them will not solve the problems. The auditor general's scathing report echoes what Cape Breton's Citizens Against Strip Mining and others have been saying and is all the more reason for an independent review, not just of this project, but of the department's assessment, approval and compliance process across the province. Given the lessons of more than 300 years of coal mining history, we ought to be world leaders in how to do it right instead of still doing it all wrong, refusing to consult or inform the community while pandering to the mining companies. Our grandchildren will have every right to ask: "What did you do to try and prevent such ill-conceived destruction of our environment and the costs to our health and to clean it up?" How many jobs should have been created doing just that instead of making more of a mess? If Nova Scotia's minister of environment is too busy preaching energy in Abu Dhabi and studying ethanol during carnival in Brazil to know what's going on in his own department, perhaps the auditor general should order the independent review and call the moratorium.
Jean Sawyer of Big Bras d'Or on behalf of Citizens Against Strip Mining |
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8 March 2008 Liaison means communication between bodies, groups, or units, according to Reader'.s Digest Dictionary, 1987. I have been publicly silent for a while on strip mining for coal at Point Aconi but recently I have had some calls from residents requesting that Victoria County Council lend our voice to a call for an independent review. After much discussion, we did approve such a motion. I then did some research on the Community Liaison Committee for the Point Aconi project and found on the environment department's website the document, Guidelines for the Formation of a CLC. There seems to a major disconnect between what there is and what should be. The document says: "-Community representatives provide an avenue for the exchange of information on the project to interested individuals" It refers to "consultation between the proponent and the residents of the area" and notes that a CLC is "a bodv representative of the community." Further, it says: "It is the proponent's responsibility to hold an organizational meeting with any interest ed parties to determine the make-up and mandate of the committee.... The committee shall ensure that the views of the committee are made available to the public in an appropriate manner. This could include the posting of minutes in a public place in the affected area or the provision of minutes to interested parties. ...Notice of the formation of said committee shall be made known to the residents and include a list of committee members." I ask the minister, Mark Parent, which of these gruidelines if any are being followed in the workings of the present CLC. We elected people toss around the word transparency all the time. It is easv to say it but the real test is how we practice it. We and the minister have to make decisions that not everyone agrees with, but our democracy demands that we give everyone a chance to have a voice. There will always be opposition. but that does not give us the right to set up committees that are supposed to be accountable to the public but aren't. If the people on the CLC want to be anonymous, they have no business serving on it Both I and the minister choose to run for office and we have no expectation that we can hide from the voters. I ask him do the right thing and set up a real CLC as described in the guidelines. N. Fraser Patterson of Ross Ferry is District 5 councillor in Victoria County. 6 March 2008 NEW WATERFORD — Residents upset by digging on a former Devco property in this Cape Breton community say run-off from the work is going into the ocean and threatening their well water. "We are worried about the environmental impact to the ocean and our wells," Rob Tonary, who lives on MacLellan Drive, said Wednesday. "There is nothing there to catch the silt." Residents took their concerns this week to Enterprise Cape Breton. Tonary said the development agency told them they will look into the matter and do an assessment, but "I told them they are a month and a half too late." He said the digging is uncovering such things as old boxcars and the soil where digging has taken place is black. "There are swamps and bogs here. I have taken pictures and shown them to the New Waterford Fish and Game Association." Tonary is one of a group of residents who have submitted a tender to Enterprise Cape Breton to purchase 29 hectares of former Devco property that borders their properties. The residents, worried about strip mining, want it preserved as a green space. "Once they take the trees out, it will take hundreds of years to get them back," said Lorne MacLellan, another resident. MacLellan said if the residents acquire the land, the community will be welcome to enjoy it as well. Bill Pembroke, president of the New Waterford Fish and Game Association, was contacted by the residents and visited the site. He said there is mud and water running from the land into a brook and into Lingan Bay. "We are disgusted with what is going on out in this area," Pembroke said. "The association will be staying on top of this." D.A. Landry, spokesperson for Enterprise Cape Breton, said soil is being taken from the site to use at an old mine site where remediation work is underway. "They brought all their concerns to our attention. We agreed to get someone to look into this and get back to them ASAP," he said. |
On February 27, 2008 the Auditor General released a scathing report on the Environment Department but where on earth is Nova Scotia's Environment Minister Mark Parent? Last year between sittings of the House of Assembly, Mark went on junkets to Trinidad and Tobago and Scotland. Last month, courtesy of Peter MacKay's ACOA, Mark could be found at the Nova Scotia Department of Environment & Labour - Canada pavilion at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, which according to the website's logo, was held "Under the Patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad bin ayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces", no doubt with Peter's sister looking over Mark's shoulder all the way. Then on February 28, 2008 an article in the Chronicle Herald about the federal budget finds Mark in Brazil, "where he is vacationing in the Amazon after a trip to learn more about ethanol". | |
E85 Boondoggle of the Day: Canadian Pork
2008-02-27 3:30pm PT | |
Where's Minister Parent?
29 February 2008 The province’s handling of a recent mumps outbreak stole the headlines this week after Nova Scotia’s auditor general was critical of the government’s performance on this file. But a second theme in the AG’s semi-annual report was of more interest to the many Nova Scotians who’ve locked horns in one way or another with the Department of Environment and Labour. Jacques Lapointe and staff found numerous problems when they rifled the files of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division which has key responsibilities for approving, inspecting and where necessary enforcing compliance with environmental rules at some 3,300 operations around the province. These include hazardous materials handling facilities and open pit mines. A paper audit of this kind is sure to find problems in a complex bureaucracy but the impression from this section of the report is that the sloppiness in the records is well sufficient to shake public confidence in the quality of the division’s performance. The division cannot ensure compliance with the Environment Act, the report observes at one point, if enforcement procedures are ineffective, where there is lack of follow-up, and when non-punitive measures are repeatedly employed to no effect. This is an audit of paperwork, and an incomplete file is not proof that a problem was not adequately resolved. But as the auditor general points out, managers can’t effectively assess the performance of their inspectors when the records don’t tell them all they need to know. In its response, the department notes that “although errors and omissions in implementing policies and procedures have occurred, there is no indication from either the audit or from the department’s experience that these errors and omissions have resulted in negative impacts to public health or the environment.” The auditor, however, would have no way of knowing about any “negative impacts” unless by accident, or unless some particular file told that story. Premier Rodney MacDonald pledged his government will take all the “appropriate measures” Lapointe recommends, though the auditor general also complains about the province’s poor record on implementing past recommendations from the auditor general’s office. But the government needs to get beyond the minutiae of record-keeping and the design of forms to look at the reputation of the department 16 years after the Westray mine disaster destroyed the public’s faith in this province’s regime for regulating workplace health and safety, a function closely related to the one under scrutiny here. Much has been done to improve these functions yet the department often comes under bitter attack over its handling of projects such as quarries and mines. Is there any merit to these criticisms or is it just that people are infuriated when the bureaucracy, applying the law as it’s written, refuses to block something a community doesn’t want? Let’s apply Lapointe’s remedies for a start but also consider how we could take a deeper and more relevant measure of the quality of this department’s performance in an area of critical importance. |
Before FLASHBACK - May 18, 2006 Premier Rodney MacDonald said in an interview with the Cape Breton Post, Wednesday, that he has taken a number of steps to address concerns raised by people who don't want strip mining on Cape Breton... At the end of the day, this issue is about cleaning up those sites and finding the best way to do it and in the environmentally right way as well, the premier said... "We are committed, we've gone through the assessment process, we will be stringently watching and working with the company to make sure every step is followed, and if not, we will be there to ensure they are following the law.".. A three year moratorium on other sites is now in place "to show this site can be done right."
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28 February 2008 The semi-annual report by Nova Scotia's Auditor General released on 27 February 2008 corroborates the concerns that Citizens Against Strip Mining have been voicing for years about the province's flawed environmental assessment and compliance process that approved strip mining coal in Cape Breton. The Auditor General found that approvals were given when they should not have been, the Environment Department did not verify the accuracy and reliability of the proponent's reports, approvals were issued before the specific terms and conditions were met, required financial security was not obtained, required documents were not provided, required procedures were not performed, required inspections were not completed, enforcement actions were inadequate to ensure compliance, complaints were not followed up on, etc., etc. One look at the destruction taking place at the mouth of the Bras d'Or Lakes in Point Aconi proves that these errors and omissions have indeed resulted in negative impacts to public health and the environment for decades to come. To date, the Minister of Environment has not even acknowledged our community's request for a public independent review of strip mining coal in Cape Breton despite the urgings from our elected representatives from all levels of government and political parties. In light of the Auditor General's scathing report on the Environment Department about these issues, we are asking the Minister to order a review of strip mining Point Aconi without any further inexcusable delay.
Citizens Against Strip Mining |
27 February 2008 Failure to follow school bus safety procedures, poor protection of the environment, and questionable handling of vaccines were among the items that caught the attention of the auditor general last year and drew his critical comment in a report issued today, Feb. 27. The semi-annual report released by Auditor General Jacques Lapointe contains findings of audits conducted in the last half of 2007 and early 2008. AG's Press Release AG's Report (PDF file) Text version on Environment Dept. Excerpts from Auditor General's Report:
Excerpts from NSEL's response:
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 The provincial Environment Department is doing a poor job of monitoring or inspecting industrial sites, dangerous goods and environmentally sensitive areas, Nova Scotia's auditor general said. In his semi-annual report released Wednesday, Jacques Lapointe said policies and procedures are inadequate, information is incomplete and sometimes enforcement is ineffective. Lapointe said that given the critical nature of the Environment Department's work, he was surprised by what he found. "Our audit found cases in which approvals were given that should not have been, cases of no or inadequate inspection, and poor follow-up to see that deficiencies had been corrected," he said. In fact, the auditor general said that in one of the four regions in the province, 42 per cent of industrial and dangerous goods sites were overdue for inspections. The report also concluded that inspection processes are not adequate enough to ensure compliance with the Environment Act. The auditor examined 60 cases where inspectors visited industrial sites to monitor industrial and dangerous goods. It found that in 16 cases risk assessments weren't documented, and in 23 cases the auditors couldn't find evidence of proper follow-up inspections. Lapointe also said there should be a provincewide system to track complaints. The department's response to his report said that although errors may have been made, "there is no indication that they have resulted in a negative impact to public health or the environment." Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald said the recommendations will be studied carefully, and vowed to make improvements. "We'll have to take a look at each and every recommendation on its own merit, and if appropriate measures need to be taken, we'll take them," the premier said. But the auditor general also criticized the government for not following through on about 60 per cent of the suggestions he made two years ago. |
1 February 2008 HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government has failed to ensure that newly approved mining operations won't cause serious environmental damage, several groups charged Friday as the province sanctioned a disputed gold venture. The activists, representing dozens of forestry and other ecological groups throughout the province, accused the government of allowing mining companies to skirt environmental assessments by flouting regulations. "There are significant and social risks that the government has ignored," said Tamara Lorincz of the Nova Scotia Environmental Network. "There are many more pits and quarries planned without a comprehensive development framework in place and our communities and natural environment are at stake." The groups said the province is so hungry to drum up business and lure mining companies that it's letting them avoid independent environmental reviews. |
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January 29, 2008 - A delegation of eight residents met for over an hour with staff of NSEL’s Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division in Sydney in a meeting arranged by Premier MacDonald to discuss our concerns regarding their “progressive rehabilitation” of Point Aconi. Among other things, we were told to: 1) Call Pioneer Coal’s site manager Michael Jessome if your home or property is being damaged by the blasting and strip mining, it’s not NSEL’s responsibility so they’re not involved, it’s between the home owner and the mining company 2) Call Devco to find out where the underground workings go that Pioneer Coal is pumping the acid mine drainage into, NSEL’s Environmental Monitoring and Compliance staff don’t know and don’t care, it's not their responsibility 3) Call DFO if there’s brooks discharging “orange precipitate” into our fishing grounds, it’s not NSEL’s responsibility to monitor or test it or do anything about it, they know nothing and don’t care 4) Call the Environmental Assessment Branch in Halifax to find out what concerns were expressed during what passed for public consultation, neither the Sydney staff nor NSEL’s Executive Director looked at any of the information, it's not their responsibility 5) Call the Department of Natural Resources to find out the status of mining activity in the Boularderie Resource Block. Bulk samples less than 100 tons or that does not meet their definition of a “mine” do not require an environmental assessment so NSEL staff know nothing about it, it’s not their responsibility 6) Call the Minister’s office in Halifax about our community’s call for an independent review that we asked to be on the agenda for this meeting but NSEL’s Sydney staff and Executive Director still know nothing about 7) Call the Premier and ask him why Pioneer Coal’s strip mine was approved despite majority opposition to the environmental consequences. According to NSEL’s Executive Director it was a political decision made by Cabinet (long before what passes for an environmental assesment) 8) Don’t dare ask NSEL’s Executive Director what do you do, how do you protect our environment for us if you know nothing and do nothing when the public asks you to? He’ll “really object to that” and “find it offensive” and start yelling and banging his fist on the table! How many more reasons for an independent review and for revisions to this flawed process does it take for a minority government to listen to the concerns of the overwhelming majority and act honourably and responsibly? January 26, 2008
BY FRANK CORBETT I thank the members of Citizens Against Strip Mining for their years of hard work and I offer the support of the Nova Scotia NDP in their efforts to have an independent review of strip mining carried out on Boularderie Island. MLA Gordie Gosse (Cape Breton Nova) and I have continually supported the hard work being done by CASM. Our leader, Darrell Dexter, and numerous fellow NDP members of the legislature have visited the site, met with group members, and raised the issue in the legislature. We will continue to raise the issue in the House. The NDP brought forth legislation in the past to halt strip mining, and called it for debate. The Conservatives, who control the agenda of the legislature, have refused to call it for a vote. Contrary to some misinformation, only the government can call a bill for a vote, and without a vote our legislation died on the order paper. It was also the NDP, through Gosse, who submitted this issue for debate during the last sitting of the legislature. It is telling that not a single Cape Breton Conservative spoke during that debate. Last week, Councillor Darren Bruckschwaiger called the Cape Breton Regional Municipality's decision to support CASM's request for an independent review a wake-up call for the provincial opposition parties to force the Conservatives to act and call a review. This statement is naive in its disregard for the rules of the House. I have had conversations with Conn. Bruckschwaiger in the past in which I tried to explain how a minority legislature works. The movement of legislation through the House of Assembly is controlled 100 per cent by Premier Rodney MacDonald's Conservatives. The councillor can call on the party he ran for in the last election to bring this issue to a formal vote. While he is at it, perhaps he and the MLA for Cape Breton-The Lakes, Keith Bain, could heed the wake-up call and ask the premier and his environment minister why the people Boularderie Island were not given the same treatment as those in Digby Neck who opposed the quarry or those in Shortts Lake who fought the burning of tires. Why do the Conservatives treat Cape Bretoners like second-rate citizens? |
January 26, 2008 POINT ACONI - Gary MacLean says he's saddled with a house he will never be able to sell. The chasm sitting across the street has destroyed his home's value, he said. "Who would ever want to live here?" he asked, gesturing at the land being strip-mined about 500 metres away. "You're never going to sell your house." The province gave Pioneer Coal Ltd. the green light to clean up the coal deposits left by the abandoned Prince mine near Mr. MacLean's home. To do that, the company has been strip-mining the area, a controversial practice that environmental critics have compared to clear cutting trees. Massive sections of earth are stripped away so that machinery can get at the buried minerals underneath. The soil is later replaced, but disturbing its natural layers makes it harder for new plants to take root. Cape Breton regional council voted recently to pressure the province to do a full environmental assessment on the effect that the practice is having on the land. But Mr. MacLean said he doesn't expect that will do him much good. "The little people like us aren't going to matter one little bit," he said. "You have to be well-connected to do anything." He bought his house in 1977, along with about a hectare of land. The house was assessed at about $45,000 five years ago. Mr. MacLean could not say what it would be worth now. The former fisherman said he complained to Pioneer Coal about the damage the blasting has done to his home. The last blast rocked the house to its foundations, he said, shaking it so hard his dishes rattled and a 1.5-metre crack appeared in the ceiling of his entryway. He's still waiting for someone to come out and look at it. The company tries to respond to any complaints as quickly as possible, Ed Gillis said. The environmental consultant for Pioneer Coal's sister company, Nova Construction, was out Thursday monitoring the noise and dust levels. Those results are also checked over by the Environment Department to make sure they fall within provincial guidelines. Nothing has been over the limit so far, Mr. Gillis said. But the dust blowing off the mine in the summertime has affected one of the street's youngest residents. Joe MacLean, Gary's brother, said that his six-year-old granddaughter stayed inside most of last summer because the dust blowing off the pit made the little girl's asthma flare up. "Misery is what it's been," he said. "You couldn't even look out there (because of) the dust - it'd tear your eyes out." The dust hasn't been a serious problem during the winter, he said. The crab fisherman said he's more worried now about what the blasting will do to the lobster population near the mouth of Bras d'Or Lake. Wilf Isaac said he shares that concern. The environmental activist has been involved with the fishing industry on Cape Breton Island for more than 20 years. That sort -of seismic activity could scare off the lobsters or affect their mating habits, he said. "We'll just have to wait until the spring and see what happens." January 24, 2008 - After CBRM Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the anonymous Community Liaison Committee to hold a public meeting, the CLC's chairman Paul MacDougall wrote to Mayor Morgan praising Pioneer Coal and the jobs strip mining provides while refusing to have a public meeting or with Council until there's "a severe attitude change toward this CLC." Below is Mayor Morgan's repsonse to MacDougall, cc'd to Environment Minister Parent and Point Aconi's MLA Cecil Clarke:
----- Original Message ----- Mr. MacDougall: Thank you for your e-mail in response to the questions posed during the most recent meeting of CBRM Council. I note your commentary that you do not oppose distribution of the e-mail to the individuals referenced in it and, thus, I have forwarded your comments to the individuals concerned. From my perspective, I want to emphasize my perception that the overwhelming majority of the citizens of this region oppose strip mining of coal due to the environmental impacts which have been well-detailed. I am concerned that the secret committee may be providing a false impression to government officials that the community supports the actions of Pioneer Coal. I hope your committee will make it clear to the Minister that the municipal government and the citizens of this region oppose the actions of Pioneer Coal and also oppose any expansion of the coal strip mining operation to other locations within our region. I have noted that the provincial government discontinued similar operations in Digby in response to community opposition. It is regrettable that the provincial government does not respond to the wishes of the citizens of this region to have their environment protected in a similar manner. I do want to thank you for taking the time to respond to the inquiries during our Council meeting and I hope your committee will clearly communicate the opposition of the residents of this region to the strip mine during your meetings with the Minister of Environment and Labour.
Mayor John W. Morgan Do
you support the call for Survey of elected representatives in Cape Breton January 17, 2008 SYDNEY — Cape Breton regional council has given its support to a group of people determined to shut down a controversial strip mine in Boularderie Island. Council will pressure the province to do an independent review of the environmental effects of strip mining. The motion passed unanimously Tuesday night after a presentation by members of Citizens Against Strip Mining. The province approved the strip mining on the understanding that Pioneer Coal Ltd. would clean up the abandoned coal deposits left by the Prince mine. The coal that comes from the empty pits is sold to Nova Scotia Power, but opponents say the high-sulphur coal would be considered unfit to burn under certain international emission standards. People are also concerned about groundwater contamination. The province gave the project a green light without undergoing a full environmental study, a spokesman for the lobby group told council. "At stake . . . is our water supply, our fishing grounds, our farms, our homes, our children’s future, our communities (and) our natural resources," Earl Cantwell said. A three-year strip mining moratorium the province placed on another 13 sites also owned by Cape Breton Development Corp. across the municipality will expire this year January 16, 2008 SYDNEY - An anti-strip mining group convinced Cape Breton Regional council Tuesday night to put pressure on the provincial government to request a full independent review of the province's, decision to enter into an agreement with Pioneer Coal Ltd. to strip mine on Boularderie Island. Citizens Against Strip Mining spokesperson Earl Cantwell said the three-year moratorium the province placed on 13 coal leases formerly owned by the Cape Breton Development Corp. will soon expire, leaving communities throughout the CBRM at risk of having strip mining in their neighbourhoods. The motion was also a wake-up call for the provincial opposition parties to force the minority government to act and call an independent review, Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger said. Council also requested that a public meeting be held soon with the Citizen Liaison Committee, a group of anonymous individuals who were appointed to act as an intermediary between Pioneer Coal and the residents of the area. January 15, 2008 - Citizens Against Strip Mining gave a 5 minute presentation to the Regional Municipality of Cape Breton Council meeting calling for support for an independent review. Eskasoni First Nations elder Albert Marshall also spoke. Council spent almost an hour discussing it with 7 Councilors speaking on the matter and all commending us, the Mayor asked a few questions. CBRM Council moved a motion to: (1) request a public independent review of strip mining coal in Cape Breton as was done with the proposed quarry in Digby Neck; (2) request further strip mining be stopped; (3) request the project’s Community Liaison Committee to meet with the public and address the concerns of the community; (4) to send a copy of Council's decision to the MLAs and MPs. The vote was unanimous: 17 to 0! December 31, 2007 - CASM letter to Premier MacDonald |
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2007 ENVIRON. &
LBR. - BOULARDERIE ISLAND/POINT ACONI: MR. GORDON GOSSE: Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure that I rise tonight, or maybe it is not a pleasure that I rise tonight, on this late debate topic on strip mining in Point Aconi and Boularderie Island. I think they call it cleaning up the past mining and I think there has been a little bit of quickness on this government to go ahead and move forward with this project, just days before this land was turned over from Devco to the province, days before. Why this was done days before it turned over, it meant that the federal government's responsibility for the cleanup of the former Devco lands would not have to take place, because jurisdiction for onshore coal and onshore mineral rights belong to the Province of Nova Scotia. So right now, the responsibility - the money was there from the feds, I think at one time it was $6.6 million but, Mr. Speaker, they move ahead with the project anyway. There has been no accountability to the people of Point Aconi and there has been no accountability to the people; 72 per cent of the residents in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality voted against strip mining in Cape Breton. AN HON. MEMBER: 72 per cent? MR. GOSSE: 72 per cent; 100 per cent of the residents in the communities that are most affected by strip mining, voted against this proposal, Mr. Speaker. Let's just say, is there anybody on that side of the House who is listening to these people? AN HON. MEMBER: I don't think so. |
Saturday, 8 December 2007 Any comparison and contrast between Environment Minister Mark Parent's approval to strip mine coastal Crown woodlands and wetlands at the mouth of the Bras d'Or Lakes at the first of 14 proposed sites, while rejecting the quarry in Digby Neck, should consider the facts (Editorial: Green Issues Raise Questions, Dec. 1). Shortly after Pioneer Coal submitted its application for industrial approval to strip mine for coal, Devco turned over the Prince Mine in Point Aconi to provincial jurisdiction. This was just days before the project would have become subject to federal environmental assessment. The federal government does not have jurisdiction over onshore mines or provincial Crown land. Onshore coal is a mineral resource under provincial jurisdiction, and the province's approval process does not provide for an independent review panel or advisory committee. Under the provincial process, the mineral rights granted by the Department of Natural Resources give a company the right to mine. The rubber-stamping environment department did not even review Devco's environmental assessment of the Prince Mine before issuing its approval to Pioneer Coal's strip mine, and then squelched the report under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Nova Scotia's Environment Act does not allow for an appeal at the environmental approval stage. There is no public consultation at the industrial assessment stage. It's not until after the industrial approval has been issued that the act allows for an appeal of the decision. Like quarrying Digby Neck or burning tires in Brookfield, the decision is entirely at the minister's discretion and is based more on political than environmental concerns.
A 2007 investigation launched by concerned residents under Section 115 of the Environment Act found that the public's submissions, the views of experts, and government's own studies were all ignored - and the environment department did nothing to verify any of the information provided by the proponent. Thus, Mr. Parent did not know about the acid mine drainage and leakage from the settling ponds, did not know about the long list of toxic materials at the site, and did not know about Devco's $6.6 million estimate to clean up the Prince before issuing his approval. And apparently he still does not know. Because the minister did nothing to verify the information provided to him, he did not know where the mining blocks were or about the brook along the shore or the wetlands next to the settling ponds until after they were destroyed - and only then because of the public's own monitoring and application for investigation. Clearly this community has presented an "appropriate, strong, reasoned opposition" (a phrase from a Digby Neck quarry opponent, quoted in the Dec. 1 editorial) while the government and its political patrons have presented no reasoned support at all for their actions - nor have they presented any evidence that strip mining can and is being done responsibly. The obvious evidence to the eye indicates quite the contrary. The environment department's monitoring and compliance inspector admits "exemptions" are being made for Pioneer Coal. Unlike the Digby Neck review, where all information was public, the province's Section 115 investigation of the Point Aconi project found that the environmental assessment and approval process was flawed. But the report, along with aerial photos and other information that ought to be public, is also being squelched under the information and privacy act. While Devco is looking for experts to build acid mine drainage treatment facilities at its sites, the province will not acknowledge the problem at the Prince and is hiding that data under the information and privacy act too. Would strip mining Point Aconi have been approved if there had been an independent review panel or advisory committee? In all fairness, Mr. Parent should hold an independent review of the assessment, approval, monitoring and compliance process at Pioneer Coal's strip mine at Point Aconi. Anything less comes up short and indicates a double standard that is a disservice to this region. The situation will only get worse if this flawed process, based on insufficient information and false claims, is allowed to continue. If nothing changes and there's another costly environmental mess on our hands, it won't be because concerned citizens of the area didn't try to stop it. It will be because those with the power did not act honourably or responsibly. Jean Sawyer lives in Black Rock and is a member of Citizens Against Strip Mining Boularderie Island. December 2, 2007 Sydney physician and erstwhile Green Party candidate Chris Milburn succinctly expresses a view that is current in this area in the wake of two recent decisions by Nova Scotia Environment Minister Mark Parent. Residents of Digby Neck protested against a proposed coastal basalt quarry while people in the Brookfield area, near Truro, came out against the idea of burning used tires as fuel in a cement kiln. Parent has stopped both projects, but not Boularderie strip mining. “I guess we know how much Halifax values our opinions and our environment,” Milburn concludes (Environmental Protests Succeed Elsewhere Than in Boularderie, Letters, Nov. 27). Milburn is not alone in seeing a discrepancy between the mainland and Cape Breton situations, but is his implied explanation correct that community opinion and environmental concerns on the other side of the Strait simply get a better hearing from decision-makers? There may be something to this, though it’s less an answer than a series of questions. Why would such a bias exist? What would be the source of it and what could be done about it? It’s obvious, though, that particular characteristics of the projects and communities figure in an as well. Opponents of the Digby Neck quarry and terminal achieved foundation for their victory when a joint federal-provincial panel was appointed to do the environmental review. The review report’s firm recommendation against the project is believed to be unprecedented in Canada but it’s hard to imagine Parent stopping the quarry if the panel had not bundled him into so tight a straitjacket. Similarly, Parent’s decision not to allow worn-out tires to be burned as fuel, at least for now, but to continue shipping them off to Quebec (where most of them are burned anyway) follows the recommendation of a committee he appointed outside government to study this. The province had no specific policy on the subject when the Lafarge Cement scheme was proposed in January. By contrast, strip mine opponents were never able to move their issue outside of provincial line departments to a more “independent” review process. Hopes of getting the federal government involved came to nothing. One might add, perhaps, that on the simple merits of each case, the quarry and the tire-burning schemes deserved to fail while surface mining (or reclamation, as the government likes to call it) is familiar and well understood, and can be done responsibly even if there are sorry examples of where it hasn’t been in the past. Besides all this, there is, crucially, the communities and how they’ve pursued their causes. Don Mullin of the Partnership for the Sustainable Development of Digby Neck and Islands Society, saw the quarry result giving residents hope of fairness if you mount “appropriate, strong, reasoned opposition.” Has Cape Breton’s anti-strip mining lobby come up short on one or more of these adjectives? It’s telling that in Digby Neck Liberal Harold (Junior) Theriault defeated Tory cabinet minister Gordon Balser in the June 2006 general election because of the quarry issue, at least in part. On the Northside, by contrast, Tory MLA Cecil Clarke, strongly identified as a defender of Boularderie strip mining, increased his margin of victory from 585 votes in 2003 to 2,090 last year, nearly doubling his nearest opponent. Halifax, the mainland, didn’t do that. The voters of Cape Breton North did. ----- Original Message ----- Thank you for your correspondence of November 1, 2007, entitled "Your progressive rehabilitation of Point Aconi" concerning the Pioneer Coal surface mine and reclamation project at Point Aconi, Cape Breton County, along with your further correspondence of November 10th and 25th. It is my understanding that staff of the Department's Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division in Sydney will be arranging a meeting with you to discuss your concerns regarding the matter. I expect you will be hearing from Roger Munroe, Regional Manager, Sydney office, in the very near future. Thank you for taking the time to write to me. Your interest in this matter is appreciated. Sincerely,
Rodney J. MacDonald, Premier |
Without the benefit of an independent review panel or advisory
committee, or an MLA who'd even listen, Boularderie Island residents
had to use other means available to try to
stop the destruction of Point Aconi.
This included many rallies and public
meetings attended by hundreds, and
presentations and petitions to
municipal councils, MLAs and MPs.
Proposed legislation was introduced
to stop strip mining, the federal government was approached, and formal
appeals and applications were made
to the minister under the provincial
Environment Act. There were countless news reports and letters to the
editor, all documented on a website
at www.c-a-s-m.org for almost three
years now.
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November 21, 2007 - SOS Rallies
November 22, 2007 SYDNEY – Citizens gathered here in an effort to send out a distress call over what they say is a lack of government environmental stewardship, Wednesday.
“We are hoping to show the government that the whole of Nova Scotia has to be listened to, the people have to be listened to,” said Christiane Tanner, one of the local organizers. “Deals are done that we don’t know anything abut. The opposition has no say and we have no power. They don’t follow the rules and when there are rules, they don’t follow them.” According to Tanner, the recently cancelled quarry near Digby Neck and strip mining at Point Aconi have communities struggling to protect coastlines, wetlands and forests from the effects of business interests intent on taking valuable resources without consideration for the integrity of habitat, or the wishes and needs of local residents. “I think the public is ready to send a message to government that they do take care of the environment in their actions, not just their words,” said Tanner. We’re trying to send a message to government that we want a say on what is going on in our communities,” added organizer Michelle Symes. “We want a say in how our environment is treated and we want to be heard.” Locally, the concern is over strip mining, which continues even while other projects in the province have been cancelled. “The environment minister has cancelled two projects just this week that he doesn’t see as environmentally fit to go ahead with, when here on Boularderie Island he has the power to cancel this strip mining project whenever he sees fit and he’s chosen not to do that,” said Symes. While the province-wide protest came together in just two weeks, both Symes and Tanner believe it is just the beginning as the public looks for more accountability from their elected officials. “We’re all in this together, we’re all in the same boats in our communities,” said Symes. “We jut want a voice in our communities. We want government to listen to us and we want to be heard. “We’re standing up and yelling out as loud as we can for the government to hear us.” November 22, 2007
"I’ve seen the future and it’s death," shouted protester Peter Zimmer. During the skit, the protesters repeatedly tried to wake up a sleeping politician, warning him of the dangers facing the world. The event was meant to coincide with today’s opening of the legislature. Protests were held in Windsor, Sydney, Digby, Kentville, Trenton and Yarmouth. "There’s no shortage of solutions," says Brendan Haley of the Ecology Action Centre. "There’s almost too many. What we need is to start implementing these solutions." He says individuals can improve the energy efficiency of their homes and businesses, and eat more local food. The provincial government has done a good job at promoting local food consumption, he says. Steve Brayton of Halifax attended the rally and is concerned about Nova Scotia’s coastline. He also lives in Sandy Cove, Digby County. "We have such an incredibly beautiful coastline in Nova Scotia and I think it would be an absolute tragedy to just sell it all off to foreign interests, and have them come and rape and pillage it for little in return." He would like to see legislation similar to American legislation in states such as Maine where shoreland areas are subject to zoning and land use controls. New Democratic Party environment critic Graham Steele attended the event and is concerned the government will not meet the goals it laid out in the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act, which was passed in June. "Anybody can set a target," says Mr. Steele. "The real challenge is actually devising plans to meet the targets." Highlights of the act include reducing greenhouse gases by 10 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, and having 18.5 per cent of energy needs come from renewable resources by 2013. Environment Minister Mark Parent says the government must meet the targets by certain dates and must report to the legislature on an annual basis to report the progress being made. If the government is unable to meet its targets, Mr. Parent says penalties would be possible, but "we only use the stick if we need to." Mr. Parent says initiatives, such as introducing a $9.5-million environmental technologies fund and starting an electronics recycling program, will help the government achieve its goals. It’s not just up to government to lead the charge about being more environmentally friendly, says Mr. Parent. "We don’t want a situation where government is looked at as the one that will meet the goal all on its own, because if that happens, we won’t have unleashed the creativity and energy of Nova Scotians, and that’s the only way we’re going to do it." Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Environmental groups are urging the Nova Scotia government to turn its agenda "green." Several rallies were held Wednesday morning from Digby to Sydney, with demonstrators demanding that various environmental issues take centre stage. In downtown Sydney, about 35 people gathered outside offices of the Department of Environment and Labour and sang how they want the government to "bring back our democracy." Many of the demonstrators have been fighting a strip mining project in nearby Point Aconi for years. "Across the province, there are so many environmental issues and it seems government is not listening. So, we thought it was time for everybody to join together and tell us that they need to start listening to us and protecting our environment," said Donna Stubbert. The rallies began with a phone call to opponents of a proposed rock quarry and marine terminal on Digby Neck. Though the environment minister announced Tuesday he would not approve the project, organizers in Sydney say that doesn't end the fight for people in Digby County. "They are even more enthusiastic about this rally than before because they know it's not the end," said Christiane Tanner, who made the call. The federal-provincial panel that recommended rejection of the quarry also suggested the province work on a coastal zone management plan, which Nova Scotia Environment Minister Mark Parent said he would take up with the appropriate departments. ‘Speaking out in solidarity’
The SOS Snowball rally took place in Digby and six other Nova Scotian communities on Nov. 21, just one day after plans for a local quarry were terminated. Marilyn Stanton of Sandy Cove' and Christiane Tanner of Cape Breton created the event just 15 days prior to the rallies taking place. Stanton said the local community has a lot in common with Tanner's community. "They are battling a strip mine," said Stanton. "Although we have never met, we decided to become partners and symbolically join hands over the North Mountain from one end of the province to the other." The initials, SOS are an internationally recognized distress call, which the women decided was fitting to send to government. In this case the primary message was citizens speaking out in solidarity. "There were other potential things—Save Our Shorelines, Stop Our Silence—you could go on and on," said Stanton. "The title we eventually came up with for today was Strength Of Seven because there were seven rallies going on." Although she was quick to mention the rallies had nothing to do with government’s decision now to approve a Digby Neck quarry project, rally documents call for government to follow the recommendations set out in a recent report advising against the project. That report also called on the province to develop and implement a coastal management policy and require environmental assessments for any future quarry in Nova Scotia. Current legislation allows proposed quarries below four hectares to skip environmental assessment. "As a province, we have never enough valued and treasured what is ours," said Stanton. "We always look to other places so it's time we stood up and did that, understood what a wonderful place we have." Rallies in Digby, Annapolis Royal, Yarmouth, Wolfville, Halifax and other locations took place just one day after Environment Minister Mark Parent made the decision to kill the Digby Neck quarry. However, none of the government departments involved with the application recommended against the quarry proceeding. Had it not been for citizens pushing for a joint panel review, the outcome might have been different and that's cause for concern, Stanton said. "There's no protection for our resources, there's no policy," said Stanton. "Someone said that once we become a profit-driven society, all of our values are going to change. We need to go back there. We need to re-establish old values, we have to look at what we need as opposed to what we want, and how much wealth we really need to amass." Next up are a bumper sticker campaign and a series of rallies early in 2008, but Stanton said it's important to remember that while Digby's battle is over, Tanner's group is still fighting a strip mine in an area surprisingly similar to Digby Neck. "We have to take accountability and responsibility for the fact that we haven't said to our government that this is enough," Stanton said. "We care what happens to our province." Activists call province to account on environment Hants County activists gathered outside Hants West MLA Chuck Porter’s office Wednesday, Nov. 21 to speak out on environmental issues in the region.
Thirty members and friends of the Avon Peninsula Watershed Preservation Society (APWPS), Friends of the Avon River (FAR) and Citizens Action to Protect the Environment (CAPE) came out in the cold sunshine to sing songs, wave signs and walk together through downtown Windsor in an effort to hold the provincial government accountable on their commitments to protecting the environment. West Hants municipal councillor Randy Matheson joined the groups to show his support, saying, “I’m here to support these groups and to support green.” Porter, who was in Halifax preparing for the opening of the Legislature, expressed regret for missing the event. “I wish I had been there,” he said. “I think it’s great that people are taking an interest. I think our government has focused on a number of environmental priorities.” Michael MacNeil, with APWPS, said, “the central message is to get the provincial government to take a more concerted proactive approach to the preservation of the environment. We’re not anti-business, but are looking for a more balanced and thoughtful approach to the provincial environment.” Those in attendance praised the Provincial Conservative’s action ordering of an environmental review of the proposed Digby Neck basalt quarry and the recent decision not to allow the quarry operation. Mira MacNeil, also with APWPS, said she was “glad the government made the decision to save White’s Point.” MacNeil added, “one can only hope it bodes well for the future.” However, beyond the quarry, there are other local issues of concern. The two most prominent discussed at the protest were the rumored expansion of Fundy Gypsum and forestry management. November 21, 2007 HALIFAX - Environmental groups are calling on Nova Scotia politicians to put green issues at the top of the agenda of the fall legislative session. Several protests were held across the province Wednesday to urge politicians to take a more aggressive stance when it comes to environmental issues. In Halifax, activists staged a play in front of the legislature showing a politician sleeping through the many threats facing the environment. The executive director of the Nova Scotia Environmental Network, Tamara Lorincz, said there is a wide range of issues that need to be addressed, including climate change and greenhouse gases, strip mining, and protecting the coastline. She said while the province passed legislation earlier this year setting out a number of goals and targets, including greenhouse gas reductions, it's a small step that is coming years too late. "They've only just begun," said Lorincz. "Let's remember that we signed Kyoto in 1997, Kyoto was ratified by the Canadian government almost five years ago, so Nova Scotia actually has been a laggard on dealing with climate change." The province passed the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act, which sets goals including reducing greenhouse gases to 10 per cent below 1990 levels over the next 13 years. Lorincz said the evidence that climate change is a serious threat to the world is only growing, and politicians in Nova Scotia should take a lead role. She said environmentalists will be watching Thursday's speech from the throne carefully for any sign that the province is taking the issue more seriously. |
AMIDST CHANTS and a street theatre demonstration, about 30 protesters gathered outside Province House Wednesday to bring attention to climate change and other environmental issues.
A hastily organized province-wide rally last week showed a good chance of snowballing into something much larger.
The SOS - Speak Out in Solidarity - event took place in conjunction with rallies in Digby, Annapolis, Kentville, Halifax, Trenton and Sydney to mark the eve of the fall session of the provincial Legislature.
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In Memory |
As the flowers are all made sweeter |
POINT ACONI - Several groups protesting the burning of coal and the strip mines which produces the fossil fuel gathered for an information session Friday at the entrance to Nova Scotia's power plant in Point Aconi. A six member delegation from the Hillside-Trenton Environment Watch Association NewGlasgow, NS joined over 50 members of Citizens Against Strip Mining (CASM). Both groups are concerned that Nova Scotia Power is purchasing high sulphur coal strip mined in Pt. Aconi by Pioneer Coal to burn in its Nova Scotia Power plants. "CASM members travelled to our area tosupport our efforts and we felt it was only fair to do the same; said Trenton association spokesperson Peter Boyle. "We're all in the same boat. If we don't step up to the plate, she's going to soon sink because the environment is in an awful state. Both groups would like to see Nova Scotia Power go to an alternative energy source, such as windmills and tidal water to generate power. "It's a good possibility that the coal being strip mined in Cape Breton could land in Trenton. It's higher ash and high sulphur and would be even more devastating if it is burned in the Trenton generating station which is in the middle of our community, he said. "We'd like to see NS Power get rid of coal and stop ruining people's lives and destroying the environment." CASM member Michelle Symes said there is a concern that drainage from the Pioneer strip mine site is being pumped directly into the Bras d'Or Lakes. "This is putting the fishing grounds at risk We're also concerned about the water table for Boularderie island," she said. "If they pierce the aquifer that supplies water for Boularderie Island, this is putting wells and homes at risk." Symes moved with her family to Boularderie Island from the mainland three years ago. "We chose to live on Boularderie Island, we love it here. My husband travels to work on the mainland;' she said. "We wanted to move to a clean, safe environment where we could raise our children. We'.re concerned that it will be taken away from us, we don't ever want to move from Boularderie island". Keith Boutilier, who fishes out of Alder Point, is concerned about the future of the local lobster fishery. "Dirty water is being pumped into the lake and it is ruining the fish habitat." |
September 22, 2007
POINT ACONI —
But there was plenty of standing around and friendly banter among those who held the signs reading Stop Strip Mining, a message Noah just refused to repeat. Pioneer Coal of Stellarton, owned by businessman John Chisholm, has permission from the provincial government to dig deep in Boularderie Island to fix shallow hand-dug pits. Then coal that is strip mined is sold to NSP but residents say the coal is of such poor quality that NSP’s plant is belching more than its usual share of pollution into the sky and over nearby farms. "There’s destruction of our wetlands and acid mine drainage putting our fishing grounds (at risk) right here off Point Aconi, and there’s very little remediation work going on," Michelle Symes of Boularderie East said. "The company is allowed to dig to 160 feet to reach the coal seams and if they reach that, they could pierce our freshwater aquifer and that will be putting us all at risk." Keith Boutilier, a local lobster fisherman, said the discharge from mining that is close to the ocean is causing damage. "It’s going to kill the bottom there. . . . Lobster need a good bottom to live," he said. "The lobster may cross there but they don’t stay because it’s muddy, no kelp. . . . Very few things can survive there." About a half-dozen residents and members of the Hillside Trenton Environmental Watch Association joined the Cape Breton protesters because their concerns over pollution at NSP’s plant in Trenton and nearby strip-mining activity in Stellarton are similar. "We’re all in the same boat and if government doesn’t step up to the plate, the boat is going to sink," spokesman Peter Boyles said. "The environment is in such a mess now. . . . NSP is part of the problem." When asked whether he had a message for the power corporation, he urged it to "get rid of the coal and clean up your act." Mr. Boyles said there are so many alternative ways to produce electricity that coal shouldn’t be needed anymore. "There are all kinds of things they could be doing besides ruining people’s lives and destroying the environment." |
A parrot named Noah didn’t say it, nor did about 50 protesters who showed up at the gates of Nova Scotia Power’s Point Aconi plant Friday.
August 28, 2007 Please note that while Devco is "cleaning up" the Princess Mine, there is no mention of Devco's Prince Mine where the provincial government claimed that the federal money was not on the table and that's why they're strip mining Point Aconi to make the money to clean up the site, and because there's no federal money involved there was no environmental assessment done on the Prince before approving Pioneer Coal's project! FLORENCE — Remediation work will have to be completed on the Princess mine’s site before Devco officials can turn their attention to a number of mine sites in neighbouring communities. Coun. Wes Stubbert and fellow Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillors Clarence Prince and Darren Bruckschwaiger met recently with Devco officials regarding the cleanup of old mine sites. “Old colliery sites, such the former Franklyn mine in Florence, the old Little Pond strip mine site and an underground mine owned by Devco are a disgrace,” Stubbert said. “It’s good for the community to know that the Old Franklyn site and the former strip mine in Little Pond are on the list for future cleanup.” Stubbert said even though it will be two to three years before work can begin, it’s important for the community to know they haven’t been forgotten. Work on the 11-hectare site of the former Princess mine in Sydney Mines began this summer, part of Devco’s closure program on the Sydney coalfield. The work will include grading, bringing in new soil, hydroseeding areas that don’t have vegetation and development of walking trails. When Devco ceased operation it turned to Public Works and Government Services Canada, a large federal department with experience in environmental cleanups and project management. The Princess mine site, which has been divided into two sections, the washplant and waste rock area, will be remediated to light industrial and recreational.Once the work is complete on those two sites, Public Works will move on to nearby Edward’s Pond in Sydney Mines. “The old Franklyn site is in the heart of the community. There are old abutments, timbers and mine waste, it’s a terrible looking site.” He noted that once the site is remediated, it could be suitable for housing with water and sewer services already in place. Stubbert said a shortage of building lots in Florence has anyone looking to build going elsewhere. “There are always people looking to come back home and build. Once the Franklyn site is cleaned up, they will have the option to build in their native community.” He added the site would be ideal for six to eight new homes. Devco owns approximately 600 properties covering about 1,000 square kilometres in 35 different communities within Cape Breton. These range from urban lots, forest fields, wetlands and ponds to ocean frontage. “I’m very impressed with the remediation work that Devco has done in other areas of the regional municipality,” said Prince, who represents District 15. “At the end of the day, I’m sure the residents will be more than pleased with the results which should be esthetically pleasing.” |
July 16, 2007 Under the guidance and direction of Dr. Stewart Critchley, the seasonal curator of the Cape Breton Fossil Center, our diverse collection of individuals from Canada, the United States, England, and even Australia, were eagerly anticipating our little fossil hunting expedition under the imposing 60-foot cliffs at Point Aconi. What I was not prepared for, however, was how quickly this unknown group of strangers, including young children, teenagers, and even reluctant adults, were quickly transformed into a co-operative communal effort. Dr. Critchley, and his assistant William (Skinny) Foster, were determined to see that over the next 90 minutes everyone came away with at least one good quality fossil. Everyone searched, and evaluated, and looked some more. Those who were having trouble finding good specimens were soon directed to promising items, while those who lingered too long at one location were gently reminded that many more were waiting to be discovered. In fact, just around the point was the most intriguing fossil of all, a fossilized tree trunk embedded in the side of the cliff! The sight of this five-foot long specimen, vertically positioned above a three-foot thick coal seam, was without a doubt the highlight of our fossil excursion. While those with cameras scrambled to find the best photo angle, others scooped up small quantities of coal from the beach. (I had to remind myself that most of these people, especially the children, had never seen a piece of coal.) A |