Government Partners Urged to Meet on Faltering Community Stakeholder Process
Sydney, Nova Scotia 20 May 1999 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The community based process established by government to remedy the environmental and health problems of the is adrift according to a newly formed community alliance. The alliance has requested a meeting with the government partners in the community based process to assess performance to date against community expectations and needs.
Representatives of labour, business, youth and aboriginal peoples have come together out of concern for the impact of the debacle on community well-being, image, investment climate and individual health. It is the considered opinion of the alliance that community confidence in current structures to clean up the watershed is eroding at a disconcerting rate. Additionally, the alliance contends that government has unleashed a process which has overtaken the entire community, is generating considerable alarm, fostering strife and causing disparaging international media coverage. According to the Alliance, it's time to engage government partners in a frank discussion of the process, anticipated outcomes and strategies to deal with pressing issues.
"Awareness of the has been elevated to alarming heights," said alliance spokesperson John Kingston, United Steel Workers of America. "This community needs reassurance from government that corrective action will be taken in the immediate future. Under current circumstances, we can't expect the community to stand behind a process that appears fettered in procedure."
The community stakeholder process on health and environment problems of Cape Breton County has been operational for almost three years. No firm recommendations have yet to emerge respecting the substantive clean up of the .
"There is a pronounced sense of urgency within the community ont his matter," said alliance spokesperson Fran Morrison, youth representative. "We consider a meeting with our government partners an important first step in efforts to restore community confidence in the stakeholder process."
The meeting with government partners is being requested for Tuesday, June 8, 1999, at 7:00 pm at the Steel Workers Hall. Write to Community Alliance
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