My name is Juanita McKenzie, and I am the spokesperson for the concerned
residents of Frederick Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia.  We are your
neighbours, your friends, and your loved ones.   We are part of your community.

One of the reasons for our presentation tonight is to request the full
support of the Mayor and councillor of the Cape Breton Regional
Municipality.  To date our only constant source of contact with this
elected body of representatives has been with Lorne Greene.

When the signs "Human Health Hazard," were posted the value of our homes
immediately went to $0.  After the benzene scare of 1989, we have not
been drinking our water. The water that comes out of our pipes is dark
brown, which stains our clothing and leaves our bathrooms with brown
stains all over.  We get iron out from the city on a weekly basis.  If
the water does this externally, what would it do to us internally. ?

According to our sources, there is no Emergency Measures Act in place,
should there be an explosion on the coke oven site, or even at the steel
plant.  We went through two evacuations already, where we had to drive
through dense smoke to go into Sydney.  What happens if there is a huge
Chemical Fire?

We are taxpaying and law-abiding citizens.  For the last seven months,
we have been told that Frederick Street, is a Federal Problems, then a
Provincial Problem, and then a Municipal problem.  It comes down to this
Mr. Mayor . . . It is our problem, and no one seems to want to take
responsibility for it.

The biggest obstacle is denial and ignorance of the situation not only
by all the levels of government but also by local residents and business
people. We the victims continue to be victimized.

We have people who live next to the landfills that are getting their
water delivered to them because their well water is contaminated by the
leachate from the landfill.  We have a resident that had a methane
monitor in her house to see if there were any methane gases in her
house.  How terrifying was that for her.  Did anyone even ask?
Are you aware that contaminated soil from Sydney River has been dumped
at the landfill?  Why was this allowed?

Yes, we the concerned residents of Frederick Street have many concerns.
We are concerned that we have arsenic 18.5 times over the CCME
guidelines. We have coal tar with many chemicals identified to be PAH's
just meters away from our homes.  Many of the chemicals found in our
yards and immediate areas are known human carcinogens.  We are concerned
because study after study has proven to show many chemicals over
guideline status, and the ones doing the study say it is safe to live
here.  Would you?

Our greatest concern is our children and what the future holds for them
after being in contact with  these chemicals on a daily basis.  Does
this sound like the island that is advertised in tourism magazines for
its pristine beauty?  Does it sound like part of a country that has been
rated as number one in which to live?  I think not!!!  Our area is being
known as the worst toxic waste site in North America, and the condition
I have describe sound like a third world country, not Canada.

In closing there are a few things we would like to know:
1.  We want to know if our water is in pipes coming from the ground
under the coke oven site.
2.  We have videos of spontaneous combustion fires which occur on a
regular basis.  What plan is in effect if there is a major fire?
3.  Why were we allowed to purchase homes in an area that was once
designated a green zone?
4.  Where is the fence that was to be erected to keep animals and
children out?
5.  Why are we still permitted to live here when there are Human Health
Hazard signs posed just feet from our homes?  Why haven't the concerned
residents of Frederick Street been relocated?

We are not going to sit back and say nothing, after years of government
and corporate pollution we have to stand tall and face the demons of our
fathers before us.   Because those demons are killing us now.

I will leave you with a thought, Human Health as defined by the World
Health Org. in the late 40's...is A state of complete physical, mental,
and social well being and not just the absence of disease and
disability.