National concerns rising Re NB Goverment

Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2002 17:26:47 -0400
From: dbelliv@nb.sympatico.ca
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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For your info, Environmental Defence Canada (former Canadian
Environmental Defence Fund) sent a media release last week...   I did
not see it reported in newspapers but I did hear it on radio
news...             Denis


News For Immediate Release     March 28, 2002

Report on Factory Farm Pollution Kept Secret by Government
Refuses Access to Information request by national environmental group

Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B. – Premier Bernard Lord has refused to release

the recommendations made by a government-commissioned committee looking
into concerns about a large 10,000-hog farm. The government turned down
a Right to Information request made by Environmental Defence Canada, a
national organization supporting local citizens concerned about
potential environmental impacts of the hog farm owned by Metz Farms Ltd.

“This stinks. We trusted the government to hold an open investigation of

the group’s concerns,” said Michelle Campbell, Director of Citizen
Support, Environmental Defence Canada. “Now, we are forced to go to
court to get information which rightfully belongs to the people of this
province.”

Under the Terms of Reference for the committee studying the issue, it
states that the report “will be in both official languages and will be
made public.” The committee’s findings have not even been shared with
people in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent who first raised concerns about the
factory farm.

“When Premier Lord commissioned this report, he promised it would be
made public and he guaranteed transparency,” said Jerry Cook,
spokesperson, Association for the  Preservation of the Bouctouche
Watershed. “Instead, we get deals made behind closed doors and, once
again, the people of this province are ignored.”

The government recently announced it would fund a $1.5 million
technological fix to cut some of the odour from the hog farm. It’s not
clear if the  solution addresses citizens’ concerns about the potential
for groundwater contamination from the millions of litres of liquid
manure produced, stored and spread on farmland surrounding
Sainte-Marie-de-Kent. The farm produces 30,000 hogs throughout the year
and 24 million litres of manure, the equivalent of 1,200 tanker trucks.

The hog farm has been operating since 1999. People living near the farm
have been fighting to get it shut down or moved to a new location.

…/2
-2-

Founded in 1984, Environmental Defence Canada (www.edcanada.org) is a
national non-profit organization that gives Canadians the tools and
knowledge they need to protect and improve the environment and their
health. Environmental Defence Canada was formerly the Canadian
Environmental Defence Fund.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Michelle Campbell or Jennifer Foulds, Environmental Defence Canada,
(416) 323-9521
Jerry Cook, Association for the Preservation of the Bouctouche
Watershed,
(506) 523-5059



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