Muggah Creek Watershed
Sydney, N. S.
May 28, 1999.
The Editor,
Cape Breton Post
For e-mail transmission to letters@cbpost.com
JAG's EFFORT AT SPIN CONTROL
Dear Sir:
The letter from Germaine Lemoine, public information officer at Jag,
which appeared in your May 27 edition is a transparent effort at spin
control on the part of the organization in the wake of numerous
resignations and the appearance of new community organizations critical
of JAG and of the pace of its efforts. It also attempts to gloss over
some aspects of the decision on the SERL employees which were at the
same time illogical and discriminatory.
There is some merit to the assertion that SERL employees, even those
without management roles, should not participate in the Remedial Options
working group. This was not a real issue, since none had so
participated. It requires a much more creative exercise of the
imagination to see why such employees should be compelled to refrain
from participating in Environmental Data Gathering, Steering or the
Round Table itself, particularly when issues far removed from
remediation are under discussion. For instance, JAG recently called for
a clear definition of an exclusion zone around the coke ovens site and
for a halt to a construction project going on within the contaminated
area. There is simply no evident reason why any member of the community
should be barred from addressing such issues.
In addition, the exclusion leads to the following internal
contradiction. SERL employees who participate in, say, the Site
Security working group might vote on issues at that committee, but then
be barred from voting when the exact same resolution comes before
Steering or the Round Table for ratification. Am I the only one who
perceives such an arrangement as nonsensical?
This former member of JAG did participate in the vote on the SERL
employees' continued involvement, and does regret that none of the three
affected chose to file formal appeals. While unfortunate from a purely
legal and procedural standpoint, their choice was quite understandable
in human terms. Anyone who had devoted time and energy to a volunteer
organization, only to be confronted by a group within that body exerting
determined efforts to have their presence declared unwelcome, would be
sorely tempted to leave and transfer their efforts elsewhere.
Ms. Lemoine's letter does not address the perception in the
community that JAG is now dominated by persons determined that
incineration not be considered as an option for any part of the cleanup
project. Rather, her letter is symptomatic of another problem with
JAG. Presumably as part of her work product and for compensation, she
has produced a piece of writing defending the JAG process and
revictimizing those who have already been humiliated and offended by its
actions. Some in the community may legitimately wonder why JAG's
resources are being devoted to employing someone to undertake such
tasks, far removed from its main mission. Unfortunately, such internal
bickering plays into the hands of both levels of government, which are
probably quite content, in secret, if the delivery of a clear and
forceful recommendation on the necessarily very costly remediation of
the Muggah's Creek Watershed is postponed as long as possible.
Yours truly,
Douglass L. Grant
JAG projects to get $65M
By Tanya Collier
A $65 million funding agreement is expected to be
announced today to aid the cleanup of Canada’s worst toxic
waste site.
Sources told the Cape Breton Post the visit by the federal
and provincial ministers of Environment plus the Minister of
Transportation and Public Works is to announce a
three-year funding agreement recently hammered out by
the groups.
The money is expected to fund several Joint Action Group
(JAG) initiatives including a plan to remove structures on
the coke oven site, a clean up of tar lagoons, filling a
number of dangerous holes on the site, and some
cosmetic work which needs to be completed.
A separation zone involving a number of properties in
Whitney Pier including Victoria Park, Vulcan Avenue and
the north end of Sydney is also expected to be funded by
the agreement.
Recommendations for phase II and III of the Muggah Creek
Watershed are also believed to be included in the funding.
$60m coming for tar ponds cleanup
By Tera Camus / Cape Breton Bureau
Sydney - A $60-million effort to help clean up some of Sydney's toxic waste is expected to be
unveiled today by government officials.
The announcement is to be delivered at a Joint Action Group volunteer appreciation dinner by
federal Environment Minister Christine Stewart and other officials. The event is being held at noon in
Centre 200.
The $60 million would be used to pay for projects approved by JAG, a community group charged
with Sydney's environmental cleanup.
The projects include fencing in the tar ponds, installing a pipe to divert sewage from the tar ponds
to the harbour and removing dilapidated structures at the coke ovens site.
Bucky Buchanan, JAG's chairman, would only confirm the announcement will entail a
multimillion-dollar commitment.
Fran Morrison, a former JAG member who recently joined a new group called the Community
Alliance, said $60 million will not even put a scratch in the estimated $1 billion needed to fix
Sydney's environmental ills.
Her group sent a letter to MP Charles Caccia, chairman of the Commons environment committee,
requesting it visit Sydney to assess the financial need.
"As we understand it, the money will be used for preliminary work only. Our deep concern is that
the agreement may not consider the future substantive cleanup," she said.
Another Community Alliance member, John Kingston, said it seems government was caught off
guard on the mammoth cost of a cleanup.
"The total price tag of the seems to have surprised government and
indications are the entire effort will be deferred beyond the term of the anticipated agreement," he
said.
Federal sources said Ottawa and the province have been working on a 70-30 cost-sharing
agreement for the next stage of the tar ponds cleanup. Ottawa would pay the most.
The federal cabinet has already approved about $45 million for the Sydney project, which is
expected to serve as the foundation for a national strategy on toxic sites.
Today's announcement is expected to involve a three-year time frame that would set the stage for
the final remediation process to begin early in the new millennium.
A source said provincial Public Works Minister Clifford Huskilson and Ms. Stewart met on a joint
funding formula two weeks ago.
