Thursday, August 13, 1998
The Halifax Herald Limited
Residents walk out of meeting
By TERA CAMUS
Sydney - Frederick Street residents stormed out of a meeting Wednesday
night with
provincial Health and Environment officials.
"This is a joke, and I won't put up with it," said resident Debbie Ouellette
as she walked out.
"We will fight until we win."
The community meeting in Whitney Pier was called to explain the results
of blood and hair
samples taken a few weeks ago from the residents who live near the Sydney
coke ovens.
The residents walked out 15 minutes after the meeting began after Health
officials, including
provincial chief medical officer Dr. Jeff Scott, said they would not suffer
any long-term effects
from living near the toxic waste site.
Several people who attended the meeting left in tears.
"They're saying there's no problem. I can't accept that. I can't accept
it and I won't accept it,"
Juanita McKenzie, spokeswoman for residents, said. Her daughter, 18, is
suffering from her
third kidney infection and is urinating blood. She said her husband is
also ill.
Residents said they intend to hire lawyers and toxicologists to prove they
need to be
relocated.
Ron McDonald doesn't know where they will get the money. But he asked,"When
your
government can't do anything for you, where do you turn, except legal action
and your own
testing?"
The test results showed one person out of the 40 tested had unacceptable
levels of toxins.
All others had the same levels of arsenic, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
and other
inorganic compounds in their systems. Those levels were just under the
maximum acceptable
limit.
At a media briefing, Dr. Scott said he was disappointed that residents
left the meeting. He will
make his recommendations within the next few days.
Return
to Muggah Creek
Read
all about the plight of the residents of Frederick Street, Whitney Pier,
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Contact
Juanita McKenzie, spokesperson for Frederick Street