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.

With Brian Underhill, Ottawa bureau

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Community Alliance

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