URGENT-Battle at Our Shores/Mick Green-oil& gas struggle

Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 19:09:40 -0400
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: jan@TartanNET.ns.ca (Jan Slakov)
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Battle at Our Shores/Mick Green - oil & gas struggle continues

Documentary film "Battle at Our Shores " To Air Thursday 24 January, 7:30 pm
at Colonel Grey High School, Charlottetown & at the Digby NS Community
College board room at 4:30 PM, Jan. 24.  

This same highly acclaimed film by Cape Breton filmaker Neal Livingstone
will also be shown in Halifax at Cinema PIRGatory in the Killam library
(Dalhousie) at 7PM on Jan. 24. Neal and Mick Green (scientist) will be in
attendance! More info on purchase, etc. on the film at www.blackriver.ns.ca.

ALSO: 
On Jan. 24 Mick Green, an environmental scientist from Wales, will be
giving a talk at the (Halifax) Dalhousie Law School at 12:00. The title of
the talk is Oil and Gas: Comparing Regulation and Policy in Atlantic Canada and
Europe. Contact EAC for more info (429-2022). He will also be talking at the
Marine Issues Committee meeting on Jan. 25 at 4:00 at EAC.

Please come out to learn and to talk about the important issue of petroleum
development on inshore fishing grounds of the Gulf of St Lawrence.

Acknowledging the Southern Gulf as the most important marine area in eastern
Canada, Dr Loutfi of McGill University told Environment Canada back in 1973
that the Gulf should not be put at risk of any petroleum drilling or
processing, and steps should be taken to minimize risks from tanker traffic.
Today, DFO and Environment Canada acknowledge that this is a highly
sensitive, important and vulnerable marine ecosystem well endowed with fish
spawning and nursery grounds; seabird colonies; seal whelping areas;
critical migratory pathways for many species including tuna; scallop,
lobster and snow crab habitat; and many endangered and at risk species
including various whales, leatherback turtles and sea birds.

Since the collapse of Gulf groundfish stocks in the 1970's and 80's the
remnant stocks have taken refuge along the Cabot Trail shore (known to the
oil industry as parcel 1), and these same stocks, which have barely started
to recover, overwinter on the Sydney Bight shore.  Pelagic fishes such as
herring and mackeral follow the same migratory pattern.  Parcel 1 and the
Bight are the most critical habitats we have for commercial fish stocks and
they are also exactly where the petroleum companies want to do their dirty
work - seismic blasting, drilling, spills, dumping of muds, cuttings and
other toxic waste, building of pipelines etc. 
 
Imagine the Gulf  turning out like parts of the British coast or the highly
polluted Gulf of Mexico where drill rigs are now known to be extreme toxic
hotspots.  Imagine a polluted urban seascape just beyond our beaches,
criss-crossed with pipelines, including a curtain of industial sound
pollution that (according to world bioacoustic expert Dr Chris Clark) could
severely disturb feeding, breeding and migratory activities of fish and
marine mammals.  Air pollution from the flaring from nearshore wells could
bring home human health problems such as those enumerated by Alberta health
expert Dr Jim Argo : chloracne, miscarriage, nervous system and immune
system impairment etc etc. 

Fishermen throughout the Gulf are rightfully concerned, as are First
Nations, tourism operators, seafood processors, aquaculturists and, of
course, environmentalists and other concerned citizens.  We have fought this
development for 3 years and now have the opportunity to testify at a public
review hearing.  The PEI hearing is in Montague's Rodd Marina Inn, 10 am to
6 pm on Friday 25 January.  Please come out and express your concern.

See you at the movie on Thursday!

Dr Irene Novaczek
Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition
PS from Jan: January 31 will be the last day of hearings at Wagmatcook (near
Baddeck). Hunt Oil asked for and got permission to give the last
presentation. ...Ultimately though, it is up to us, whether we allow the oil
industry to have "the last word"...

Please note that people can make oral presentations at the hearing even if
they are not registered to speak as long as there is time. It is equally
important to share your thoughts with the public by submitting a letter to
the editor and elected officials. The email address of the Commission is
prc@tec.uccb.ns.ca and website is www.publicreview.ns.ca.  Their toll free
number is 1 800 554-0515



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