Toxic Lagoon
In 1967, when the pulp and paper mill at Abercrombie Point in Pictou County opened, it was hailed as a major victory for the community.
It created 300 permanent jobs that would stimulate the local economy and would increase forestry activities in northern Nova Scotia at the same time.
It did come with one catch, however, that was hidden from the residents of the county and the Mi’kmaq reservation on whose land the effluent would be treated. The effluent from the milling process, completely untreated, would be dumped into a local tidal lagoon.
The lagoon, known as Boat Harbour, would need to be dammed off to allow the toxic sludge to settle out.
Forty years later, although the treatment process has now been improved, area residents are still suffering from the effects of layer upon layer of settled pollution in their backyards – a body of water that was once prime grounds for swimming, fishing, and shellfish harvesting.In fact, during a recent excursion through the area, my family and I came upon the ruins of a house built by my earliest ancestor to settle in Nova Scotia from Scotland; its stone foundation lay just a few metres from the shore of the once-beautiful lagoon.
Now, with the treatment process somewhat cleaner, the problem is what to do with the estimated 70,000 cubic metres of the worst kind of hell lining the bottom of the lagoon as a result of 50 years of abuse.
The sludge includes heavy metals like cadmium and mercury, and chemical pollutants known as dioxins and furans. Dioxins are linked to damage in nervous tissue, the immune system, and to thyroid disorders.
No wonder, then, that a recent request for a health study, signed by local residents and Mi’kmaq band members has been ignored by provincial and federal authorities.
The solution to the problem of disposal is, as expected, not simple. The contents of the lagoon, if it were released to the tide would be disastrous to the rest of the shoreline.
Dredging up the waste, another possibility under consideration, would cost between seven and twelve million dollars, which is almost as much as the provincial government recently loaned the mill to keep it running.
No one knows what to do with this all-too-familiar example of 1960s industrial shortsightedness.
Daewho?
Korean for “Great Universe,” Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering is a South Korean company that builds heavy machinery such as offshore drilling platforms for oil and gas, oil tankers, planes, and, soon, wind turbines.
The company is in talks now with the provincial government to reopen the recently closed TrentonWorks rail car factory, which at the time of its closing employed 1,200 workers. TrentonWorks is a five-minute drive from Boat Harbour.
The plant will be converted to produce wind turbines, oil and gas wells, and possibly in-stream tidal power generators as well. This will make Trenton the only town in North America to manufacture wind turbines.
This new factory is a chance for Nova Scotia to improve upon its severely tarnished image; that of a province that casts aside environmental considerations in favour of profit, and leaves the mess for future generations. For proof, go for a swim in the Sydney Tar Ponds, Halifax Harbour, or, of course, Boat Harbour.
When the facility is refitted for its new purpose – however “green” that purpose may be – Nova Scotians must insist on clean waste disposal and emissions control.
As we learned from Boat Harbour, just because a development brings jobs to town does not mean it will benefit the community in the long run.
Jimmy Thomson 