Relocate us, coke oven neighbors say
MLA's comments 'baloney'
By JOCELYN BETHUNE
Sydney - Frederick Street resident Juanita McKenzie says Liberal MLA Paul MacEwan was wrong when he said the majority of residents do not want to be relocated out of the neighborhood where a toxic substance has been found oozing out of the ground.
"Paul MacEwan saying that he was speaking to the residents and that most don't want to move - that's baloney!"
She says she conducted an informal survey, asking residents of the 18 houses on the street, whether they wanted to be moved out of the area."Nine of us want relocation and four don't think there is a problem; two are undecided," she said, reporting the results.
Two homes on the street are occupied by renting tenants and two others are vacant, she said.
Mr. MacEwan, MLA for Cape Breton Nova, said in an interview Friday that he and Clifford Huskilson, the minister of public works, went door to door in the neighborhood and "the majority (of the residents) ... have not said they want to be relocated."
Residents who want to be relocated say the neighborhood, adjacent to the former coke ovens, contains toxic waste that is making them sick. In tests conducted three months ago after a yellow substance was found oozing from the ground, arsenic levels were found to be 18 times higher than what is considered acceptable.
Residents concern grew recently when a 30-metre stretch of a bubbling black matter was discovered in the area, but environment officials said last week it was only tar and not a serious health hazard.
The Department of Health has conducted tests on hair and blood samplesfrom area residents. The results will be revealed to the residents Wednesday.
Next Article - Province says Frederick Street residents' health not at risk
