July 9, 1998 Cape Breton Post Page 8
N.S. struggles with toxic neighborhood
HALIFAX (CP) -- The Nova Scotia government is facing mounting pressure to pack up and move residents of a Sydney street where soil and water tests have detected a coctail of toxic chemicals.
"This is just too dangerous for people to be living there," Lynn Brooks of the Ecology Action Centre said Wednesday.
"I don't understand why, after all these years, the government hasn't taken a more dramatic stand."
On Tuesday, residents of Frederick Street, which borders the contaminated waste site of the tar ponds in the industrial Cape Breton community, called on municipal, provincial and federal governments to relocate them immediately.
Among their concerns are yellow goo that was discovered oozing into local yards earlier this spring. Federal testing determined high concentrations of toxic chemicals in the land bordering the homes.
A special committee of provincial cabinet ministers is being formed to deal with the issue.
Public Works Minister Clifford Huskilson, who is leading the effort, said Wednesday the province hopes to have an answer for residents by next week.
But any help will depend on how much the federal government is willing to spend.
"I honestly don't feel we can go it alone," said Huskilson. "We need help from the feds."
The province is projecting a razor-thin budget surplus of $1.2 million.
The provincial Health Department wants to conduct tests on residents before deciding whether there is any long-term hazard.
"I'm still trying to put the picture together," said Jeff Scott, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer.
"There is no immediate health risk. I would suspect (the chemicals) have been there for a very long time."
July 9, 1998 Cape Breton Post Page 7
Politicans scurrying to help residents
BY STEVE MACINNIS
Cape Breton Post
The cries for help from residents of Sydney's Frederick Street appear to be carrying some weight.
The residents told government representatives Tuesday they want to be relocated off their street after new testing results confirmed additional contamination.
Sydney-Victoria MP Peter Mancini said Wednesday the residents should be moved, at least temporarily, at the expense of the three levels of government -- municipal, provincial and federal.
The tests confirm the worst fears of those residents. They should be moved at least until the risk to their health can be determined. Then, depending on the results, either a cleanup completed or a permanent move take place," said Mancini.
Clifford Huskilson, the provincial minister for transportation and Public Works, said he will lead the province's efforts to respond to the concerns of the residents.
"I've spoken to the residents and I appreciate their concerns. We have to ensure we have all the facts so that we make the right decisions for the people of Frederick Street," he said.
It was May when residents first noticed an orange colored goo oozing from a brook bank near their homes. Initial testing indicated elevated levels of the poison arsenic.
Further tests undertaken by Environment Canada confirm further contamination including soil int eh backyards of some of the homes.
Levels of arsenic, lead and poly aromatic hydrocarbons were found to be one-to-three times higher than permissible guidelines.
"The only visitors we're getting down here these days are from reporters asking what's going on," said resident Debbie Ouelette.
The tests were carried out by a consortium of Sydney engineering companies known as cape Breton Environmental Group. The tests were conducted at the University College of cape Breton lab and a more detailed report is expected next week.
Huskilson said he will confer with the provincial ministers of Health, Environment and Housing and municipal Affairs to determine an appropriate response to the residents' concerns.
The initial results sparked the creation of a monitoring committee comprising government representatives from various departments and levels including Health, Environment and Public Works.
The committee met with residents Tuesday to go over the latest results and promised action on the concerns expressed.
Resident Ron McDonald said among the first orders of business should be strengthened by a fenced placed by the brook.
Frederick Street, located in Whitney Pier, borders the north side of the former coke ovens site which is part of the . The area is now fenced in with signs warning a human health hazard.
The most toxic part of the watershed are the tar ponds comprising 700,000 tonnes of highly toxic sludge left behind after nearly a century of steel making. The site is considered the most toxic waste dump in North America.
Dr. Jeff Scott, the province's chief medical officer, told the residents he is now arranging to have them tested for contamination.
Contact: Juanita McKenzie, official spokesperson for the Frederick Street Group
