Sludge Watch ==> Cape Breton - NS Dept of Env contamination woes continue at Crowdis Mtn

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

This is the ongoing 'David versus Goliath' campaign to allow some residents 
in Crowdis Mountain to end the contamination of the mountain stream that is 
their drinking water.

Lillian McLeod has been waging an unstinting campaign to stop the 
contamination of her drinking water source..first by a poorly managed 
septage dump and then an illegal petrochemical dump site.

The Department of Environment and Labour has failed to act in a timely way 
in the public interest.

.......................................................................


>From The Victoria Standard Vol 16 #5


Crowdis Mountain clean-up report released to community
by Jim Morrow

Acting District Manager for Nova Scotia Environment, Sharon Munroe has
advised members of the Community Liason Committee (CLC) that the clean close
out of the Crowdis Mountain Septage facility has been completed.
Even though the presence of what Ms. Munroe is calling hydrocarbons, has
been detected, it will be up to the landowner to bring the site up to
provincial standards.

A volumnous report of which 90% lists the results of tests taken to prove
N.S. Environment¹s view that no impact was made on the watershed and
specifically MacDonald Brook over the 35 year life span of the facility, was
released to members of the CLC.
Middle River Concerned Citizens had evidence of illegal activities taking
place on the site and the then owner of the facilty was charged with
violating the conditons of his permit.

Concerned Citizens spokesperson, Lillian MacLeod said, ³N.S. Department of
Environment doesn't have to work at demonstrating their incompetence, it
comes easy to them. The roughly 218 pages of paper in the report consisted
of approximately 19 sheets of paper recycling a prior CLC Report and  the
remainder (was made up of) lab reports put together, apparently, to make
what they thought would be an impressive report. Unfortunately they were too
incompetent to provide an interpretation so it became just a collection of
meaningless data.²

Middle River Watershed Society President, Jon Saul said, ³This report
although large and impressive looking, serves only to highlight the
dysfunctional relationship between the Department of Environment and the
community they claim to serve. The scientific data which makes this report
such a great read provides nothing in the way of new policy or management of
waste water in Nova Scotia.

³Consider the history of a septic lagoon legally positioned smack in the
headwaters of an historic provincial river. This lagoon in turn was closed
under dubious circumstances only to be Ocleaned¹ (using tax payers money)
after the tireless work of community members took the government regulators
to task.

Not only was they never thanked or rewarded for their efforts but amazingly
received only slander and disrespect in return.
Anything deemed environmental is now a watch word for our age.  I think it
is about time that this Department recognized that the rights and concerns
of rural constituents are part of this environment .  Only then will they
appreciate that a more truthful and open relationship would have made this
expensive and torrid situation unnecessary.

Ms. Munroe told the CLC members that the clean closure plan developed by NS
Environment for this site included the removal and disposal of of
supernatant (liquid) , removal and disposal of sludge, site contouring and
stabilization and groundwater and surface water monitoring. To ensure septic
sludge impacted soil was removed from the site , soil samples were collected
from the floor of the lagoons and walls. All sampling results confirmed the
sludge has been removed from the site.²


EDITORIAL

The Crowdis Mountain septage facility story is a saga that epitomises the
state of the environement today.
Practices of dumping waste materials in pits dug in the woods with alimited
staff to control and monitor the activities have, we hope, evolved at least
marginally
The Province has been way ahead of the curve on solid waste stream
reduction, but has given the blind eye to waste water.
It has instituted a drinking water strategy to protect the public it serves,
but without proper control of waste water all their efforts could be for
nought
The thousands of dollars worth of studies, court hearings, public meetings
and untold volunteer hours of work to get an environmental cancker out of an
otherwise pristine watershed, was to the community as much of a shock to see
so much money spent as it was to see so little recognized for those
affected. Indeed those who were affected the most had to do what the NSDOE
should have been doing all along
It was only through the most tenacious effort of Ms Mcleod that the issue of
the control and monitoring of septic sludge and its bi- products was brought
to light and may have continued  for sometime into the future.
It is unfortunate that Ms. MacLeod is vilified for her efforts.and thew
actions she took to do what she knows is right and wholly justified in
doing.
If, anyone has been a victim of this precedent setting situation it is Ms.
MacLeod. From the very beginning when Ms. Macleod gave the courts a victim
impact statement, until her eventual vindication in the the Auditor
General¹s report, this file has been handled shabbily.
The most recent tome of research data is wholly indecipherable by those not
in the lab results deciphering business, while the history of the site in
the close out report fails to include is the results of the Doelle-Austen
Report which was quite harsh in its assesmentr of the way the NSDoE was
handling this file.
After 51,000 gallons of liquids were sucked out and 4,274 tonnes of sludge
were removed evidence of petroleum based discharge was found on the site and
the clean up was stopped.
Thus endeth the report.

According to the NSDoE these petroleum based product(s) still in the ground
will stay in the watershed as they are now the responsibility of the
landowner for disposal.

So those most immediatley affected are not being compensated and surface
water contamination does not appear to be an issue and the answer to the
question  of who is responsible for providing water to the residents
affected still goes unanswered.



/////////////////////////////////

Report: Creek cleared of sewage

By LAURA FRASER Cape Breton Bureau
Thu. Apr 10 - 5:30 AM

MIDDLE RIVER — Sludge and liquid sewage that had been leaking into a creek 
used by local residents has been cleaned up, says an Environment Department 
report released Wednesday.

The department has kept its promise to drain the sewage lagoons at Crowdis 
Mountain, a spokeswoman said, despite the fact that crews found oil in the 
soil before the cleanup was complete.

"We were not expecting to find oil contamination there," Sharon Munroe said. 
"But we’re treating it as a separate issue. The closure that we committed 
to was of the sewage facility and that’s what we did."

But local resident Lillian MacLeod said the responsibility for cleaning up 
the contaminated soil falls to the province.

Ms. MacLeod spoke with The Chronicle Herald shortly after the oil was found 
in November.

"The department allowed Crowdis Mountain to happen, so they bear a 
responsibility and a liability," she said at the time.

"But now (that) they’ve got to the point where they found petroleum, . . . 
they’re trying to wash their hands of it.

"They can’t shed that mantle as easily as that. They assumed the 
responsibility. Now they hold it."

Ms. MacLeod’s home was one of four that used water from MacDonald Brook 
for nearly everything but drinking water.

The water source was found to be contaminated from the sludge that had 
leaked out of the sewage lagoon.

The province agreed to clean up the lagoon in 2006 after an environmental 
assessment found it was affecting the water quality of the brook.

Crews removed about 4,250 tonnes of sludge from the lagoons during a 
five-month cleanup that began last July.

The department has fulfilled its part in cleaning up Crowdis Mountain, the 
environment minister said in a release Wednesday.

Mark Parent said the parameters of the cleanup included removing the solid 
and liquid sewage and monitoring the surface water.

"I am pleased to say we’ve accomplished that for the people of Middle 
River," the minister said in the release.

Cleaning up the contaminated soil will fall to the private landowners, 
Island Vacuums Ltd., Ms. Munroe said.

She said the department has met with representatives from the company. The 
firm plans to have an environmental assessment done this spring.

( lfraser at herald.ca)

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1048755.html