It has been determined that arsenic is a known carcinogen. Even low
levels of arsenic are not acceptable to humans as they can become
airborne or ingested. Some of the effects that arsenic can cause are:
eye irritation, digestive tract problems, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
decreased production of red and white blood cells, kidney injury, pins
and needles feeling in hands or feet, and loss of memory just to name a
few.
Does any of this sound familiar? Haven't the residents of Frederick
Street been saying this for a year now? Has anyone been listening?
Arsenic is believed to be a cancer-causing agent that increases risk at
even very low exposure.(Remember this)
Results back from the NS Dept of Environment that were taken in our
basements show levels of arsenic. They will be down tommorrow to talk
to the residents. What are the levels found? We don't know the exact
numbers yet. Debbie Ouellette, whose basement has been padlocked now
for a week, was told that they were low levels. Not over the
guidelines. Well she should feel safe, shouldn't she. She has three
children. Not only does she have the arsenic in her backyard, but now it
has invaded her home. But the levels are under the guidelines!!
So does
she allow her child to get his bike out of the basement? Does she allow
her child to drag the water hose on the basement floor, up over the
steps into her porch, and then outside?
Tell me something? When my daughter has kidney infections, and low
blood, and my husband has breathing problems, vomiting, diarrhea, sore
throats, headaches, and we are living on a daily regiment of tylenol,
immodium, and prescription drugs what do we think? When our neighbours
are living the same way.....what do we think? Who is going to protect
us? What do we do now? Someone please give us an answer!
The time has come now for the Government of Nova Scotia, Provincially,
and Federally to do something. We never started this crusade to get
rich, we never started this crusade to be noticed. We just wanted to
live in an environment where it was safe to raise our children. As
Debbie Ouellette put it, "We never changed....our environment did".
Our
rights as a Canadian have been taken from us. We may not be from
Kosova, but we are in desperate need of saving......before we are killed
....by our environment.
-- Juanita McKenzie
Concerned Frederick Street Resident
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2727/clc.html
(902)562-3848
By Tera Camus / Cape Breton Bureau, May 13, 1999
Sydney - Test results on the ooze found in the basements of Frederick Street homes were
delivered to the province Tuesday, but environment officials have yet to share the news with
residents.
"I'm throwing up and I can't stop crying," resident Debbie Ouellette said as she waited word
Wednesday. "I'm just a mess."
More than 10 days ago, a yellow-orange substance seeped through the basement floor and walls
of her home. Her neighbours, including one two streets away, reported the same thing.
"I know they got the answers . . . and I've just got the feeling that it's arsenic," Mrs. Ouellette said.
Angela Poirier, a spokeswoman for the Environment Department, says residents will have to wait
a bit longer for the results. But she wouldn't say how long.
"We're still analysing the results," she said. "We want to do a proper analysis over the next couple
of days, so I guess we'll have to wait on a specific time."
Frederick Street resident Juanita McKenzie was furious.
"There's something going on here. I think there's something wrong," she said. "They're hiding
something this time."
"If there was nothing wrong,the government would only be too happy, jumping up and down
saying, 'Ha, ha, ha, told you so.' . . . The government is playing with our lives and it's about time
they started working for us . . . enough is enough."
Cape Breton The Lakes MLA Helen MacDonald said the government must stop treating the
residents with disrespect.
"This is just adding insult to injury," the New Democrat said. "If they're concerned about the
residents, they would do something immediately. There could be irreversible damage done to this
community and we have a government sitting on results. Not acceptable, it's just not acceptable."
Last week, the same department hand-delivered to residents test results that came back on a
similar-looking ooze that trickled down the rail bed about eight metres behind Mrs. Ouellette's
home.
The results, from the Environmental Services Lab, were released without any delay or analysis.
Those tests showed elevated levels of arsenic, 49.9 milligrams per kilogram of soil. The
acceptable limit for residential land and parkland is 12 milligrams per kilogram.
It was the third time in a year that tests were done on material from that spot beneath the rail bed.
Last spring, tests revealed 222.55 milligrams per kilogram of arsenic in the soil. Two months later,
after the federal government cleaned up the area, levels had dropped to 13.2 milligrams per
kilogram.
Environment Minister Michel Samson, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, said
in an earlier interview that once the results from the basements came in, he'd sit down with his
fellow provincial ministers of health and transportation, along with federal representatives and the
local Joint Action Group to decide what, if anything, to do.
But as of Wednesday, the federal Environmental Protection Branch still had not been informed.
"At some point in time, we will see (the results)," Joe Kozak of Environment Canada said.
"My understanding is they will be shared and interpreted first, (then) it will be shared with
residents because it was taken on their property."
Mr. Kozak said his department is interested in seeing the results "as it may relate to some of the
federal activity there." The federally owned Cape Breton Development Corp. owns the tracks
where the substance was found. The tracks separate the contaminated Sydney Steel coke ovens
site and Frederick Street.
If the results show toxic levels in homes, as suspected by residents, the problem is the province's
responsibility, he said.
Ms. MacDonald said the government must act now.
"This has been going on for over a year. . . . What do they have to decide? What do they have to
think about? They've had a whole year to be trying to figure this out, think this through. . . . They
keep postponing. Do they think it's going to go away?"
Late Wednesday night, provincial Environment Department officials told residents Health Canada
was reviewing the findings.
Province has Frederick Street test results
by Post Staff and CP, May 13, 1999
The provincial government has received test results on ooze found in the basements of Frederick Street homes, according to resident Debbie Ouellette.
Ouellette said Wednesday a provincial government official also confirmed in a telephone conversation that test results from her basement did contain arsenic.
She says the official told her the levels were below those cited in Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Guidelines.
"To me, it doesn't matter what figures they come back with, the bottom line is that there is arsenic present."
"There are no guidelines for a basement."
The official said the province will meet with residents today or Friday to discuss the test results, Ouellette said.
The Cape Breton Post wasn't able to contact provincial officials Wednesday night.
Earlier in the day, Angela Poirier, a spokeswoman for the department, was saying residents will have to wait a bit longer for the results. She didn't say how long.
We're still analyzing the results," she said. "We want to do a proper analysis over the next couple of days, so I guess we'll have to wait on a specific time."
Last week, the Environment Department hand-delivered to residents test results that came back on a similar-looking ooze that trickled down the rail bed behind Ouellette's home.
Those tests showed elevated levels of arsenic, 49.9 milligrams per kilogram of soil. The acceptable limit for residential land and parkland is 12 milligrams per kilogram.
