ACTION ALERT: Eliz. May & Sydney tar ponds

Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 12:14:05 -0300
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca (Jan Slakov)
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From: "Janet M Eaton" <jeaton@fox.nstn.ca> (sent to many lists)
Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 21:50:30 +0000
Subject: ACTION ALERT -Eliz. May's Hunger Strike vs. Toxic 'Tar Ponds

PLEASE FORWARD & TAKE ACTION IF POSSIBLE  BY 
CALLING  THE PREMIER OF NOVA SCOTIA  (902) 424- 6600 
provincial Health Minister James Muir: (902) 424-5818
federal Health Minister Allan Rock: (613) 947-5000

Dear All:

I am writing this as a concerned  citizen of  Nova Scotia and Canada
who supports Elizabeth May's hunger strike.   I have been in touch 
personally with Elizabeth May and members of her campaign, have been 
following the media reports which are emerging and have some prior 
knowledge of the issue .  On this basis I offer an update on her  
hunger strike and  encourage any who can  to  offer support for her 
courageous actions to  bring attention and resolution  to  this  
imperative and intolerable issue.

Elizabeth May,   well known Canadian environmentalist, activist,
academic and  Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada [SCC] 
is on a hunger strike on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to secure  help to 
relocate families living adjacent to  the most toxic waste dump  in 
North America  - the Sydney  tar ponds in Nova Scotia.  It's been 12 
years since the federal and provincial governments launched a project 
to clean up the tar pond . The project which was a mammoth failure 
has since been abandoned, more and more studies ensue,  and meanwhile 
residents  continue to face  one of the highest levels of cancer 
anywhere in the country,  all manner of illness and  abnormal levels 
of birth defects and premature births while officials consistently 
downplay any danger in spite of overwhelming evidence. . [ For 
further  background see media releases and  SCC  Fact Sheet :  Sydney 
Tar Ponds Backgrounder, Nightmare on Frederick Street - below] 

Elizabeth is in  the  sixth day  of  her  hunger strike and  will be 
back on the steps of Parliament Hill on Monday morning. She  can 
be reached Monday through Friday through the office of the Sierra 
Club of Canada Ottawa Ph # 613) 241- 4611.  Individuals from the 
Sierra Club Office are taking turns sitting with her and relaying 
messages received.  Members of Parliament, including  some opposition 
leaders and citizens of Ottawa are  stopping  to  offer their 
encouragement. 

Elizabeth continues to conduct media interviews and tomorrow morning 
she will be seen on CTV's Canada A.M. at 8:40.  International 
attention is  growing.  Lois Gibbs, well known  activist, from 
New York State's infamous  toxic waste site, the Love Canal,  has 
been in touch to offer encouragement  and is coming to Ottawa this  
week to offer further support in person. 

Calls  for action are flowing in to  Federal Health Minister Alan
Rock's office from across the country and   citizens are being
encouraged to  call the office of the Premier of Nova Scotia 
tomorrow  as well  to demand  immediate action  on the 
issue --  not  more studies. 

PLEASE CALL:

Federal  Health Minister Allan Rock  613) 947-5000 OR (613) 957- 0200

Nova Scotia Premier, The Hon. John Hamm  902) 424- 6600
NS Minister of Health James Muir 902) 424-5818

and /or WRITE :

Health Minister, Hon.  Allan Rock
E-mail   Rock.A@parl.gc.ca
cc  Prime Ministerof Canada, the Hon. Jean  Chretien   
E-mail  pm@pm.gc.ca

Premier of Nova Scotia, Hon John Hamm 
E-mail   premier@gov.ns.ca
cc Opposition Leaders, NS Government 
NDP Interim Leader Darrel Dexter-  ndpcaucus@gov.ns.ca
Leader of Liberal Party Wayne Gaudet -  gaudetw@gov.ns.ca:

Some friends and supporters have been  sending flowers to the steps 
of the Parliament Buildings to support Elizabeth May personally for 
her courageous action against such intolerable inaction.

This e-mail contains  3  items for your information:

[1] Rock to help families move from polluted Sydney homes Sierra Club
official begins hunger strike By Kelly Toughill ATLANTIC CANADA BUREAU
HALIFAX -

[2] Hunger striker wants help for toxic tar pond's
neighbours WebPosted Wed May 2 15:37:27 2001 CBC News

[3] Sydney Tar Ponds Backgrounder Nightmare on Frederick Street 
Sierra Club of Canada Fact Sheet 

For Your Information, 
Janet M Eaton, PhD
89 Main St., Wolfville, NS.
Ph 542- 1631 


=======================. 
[1] May. 3, 01:50 EDT 
Rock to help families move from polluted Sydney homes Sierra Club
official begins hunger strike By Kelly Toughill ATLANTIC CANADA BUREAU
HALIFAX - http://www.thestar.com

Health Minister Allan Rock wants to help evacuate dozens of families
from a polluted Cape Breton neighbourhood while scientists probe the
dangers of the area's toxic stew.

Rock's office made the surprise announcement yesterday just hours
after a prominent environmentalist began a hunger strike on Parliament
Hill, demanding the relocation of residents in Sydney's Whitney Pier
neighbourhood.

``The minister has asked his officials to work with counterparts to
develop a plan to offer temporary relocation to any families on the
three streets in question,'' said Catherine Lappe, Rock's senior
adviser. ``We don't have a definition of what the cost is right now .
. . We will have to determine how many people take it up, how long
they need temporary relocation and so on.''

Lappe said Rock was too busy yesterday to make the announcement
himself. She also refused to say whether Rock would pay for the move,
or simply supports the idea if it is funded by other agencies.

Reaction to Rock's pledge of support was muted in the working-class
neighbourhood where scientists recently found a toxic brew of
poisonous chemicals in the soil and groundwater.

Anne Ross, who has already been moved out of her house once
temporarily, said Rock's promise is not enough. They should stop the
studies, move the people and offer us permanent relocation so we can
get on with our lives' - Anne Ross, Sydney resident ``They should stop
the studies, move the people and offer us permanent relocation so we
can get on with our lives,'' she said.

Elizabeth May, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, said
 Rock's pledge to help with temporary relocation would not end the
hunger strike she began yesterday. ``I appreciate that Minister Rock
has expressed his sympathy, but (his statement) falls short of a
commitment to relocate people. Maybe it can be clarified.''

Nova Scotia officials have consistently downplayed any danger in the
neighbourhood, despite a recent study done by consultant JDAC
Environment.

It found a rainbow of heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals in the
neighbourhood wedged between a former steel plant and a former
coal-processing factory.

One test showed levels of arsenic 70 times higher than the maximum
exposure recommended by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment.

Sydney has one of the highest cancer rates in the country, as well as
abnormal levels of birth defects and premature births 

The centre of Sydney is famous for its toxic tar ponds, a stinking pit
of sewage and industrial goo that includes 700,000 tonnes
  of carcinogens. 

The federal government set up a citizens' group five years ago to deal
with cleaning up the mess. The Joint Action Committee, with a budget
of $60 million, has been widely criticized for failing to begin the
clean-up.

Last week, the committee called on all three levels of government to
help move 85 families off three streets in Whitney Pier because of
toxic chemicals discovered in the latest testing.

Provincial officials have downplayed the danger, saying just because
the chemical concentrations are higher than federal environment
guidelines doesn't mean that they will hurt local residents.

``I don't know if there is a danger,'' said Dr. Jeff Scott, Nova
Scotia's medical officer of health, yesterday. ``That's what we need
to find out.''

A scientist from Florida has been hired to determine if the toxic
chemicals in Whitney Pier pose a short-term health risk to the
residents. But project manager Walter Van Veen said no one has yet
been hired to figure out what the danger of long-term exposures.




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