Point Paper on
Basalt Quarry at White Cove on Digby Neck, Nova Scotia
This paper is submitted in seven sections, which include:
1) General Environmental Impact;
2) Marine Life;
3) Eco Tourism;
4) Air Pollution and Dust;
5) Sound and Noise;
6) Water Pollution (This Section was not completed); and,
7) The Economy(This Section was not completed).
SECTION ONE
General Environmental Impact
1.1 Digby Neck and Islands Description: Digby Neck is a narrow peninsula, abutted on one side by the Bay of Fundy and on the other by St. Mary’s Bay, all of which ultimately connects with the Gulf of Maine. It is the place where ‘Heritage Homes’ abound; within five Kilometers there are 21 ‘Heritage Homes’, six registered homes in Little River, one in Mink Cove, 14 in Sandy Cove. It is a beautiful, pristine area, almost like a “land that time forgot”; about 50 kilometers (Km.) in total length, with Long Island and Briar Island connected by short ferry rides. There is a peace and tranquility there, an oasis in the desert of concrete and commercial striving found elsewhere. Digby Neck is surrounded by coastlines with the ridge of the North Mountain serving as its backbone. The peninsula is slightly more than a kilometer wide at Sandy Cove and 4 kilometers at the ‘head of the bay’ of St. Mary’s. At Little River is the average width of the neck, which is only 2 1/2 kilometers wide. The natural and physical make-up of the peninsula and islands is predominately Basalt, which extends from Labrador through the Bay of Fundy to Brier Island. Basalt is a highly desirable commodity that has caused to become a target of Corporate America. Two of the largest communities on the Neck are Sandy Cove and Little River, about 6 Km. apart. Little River is a thriving fishing village and Sandy Cove tends more towards a retirement and summer-home area, giving it a different personality than its busy neighbour of Little River. It is reported that the highest absentee landownership is all of Nova Scotia is on the Neck. Fishing communities are often considered to be lacking in education by their urban neighbors, and even by politicians, who feel these communities should be grateful for any crumbs of employment, even those destructive to their area.
1.2 White Cove - Site of the Basalt Quarry Description: A generation of families lived here years ago. There are remnants of old cellars and possible graves of past ancestors to Little River residents. Some 60-80 children have has been recorded in history to have lived here with their family. Folks made a living by fishing and farming in White Cove. Many of the children died in a diphtheria epidemic in the 1870's.
In the 19th century farm life at White Cove was a livelihood with oxen, sheep, cows, and horses. Hay and grain were grown, and roots and vegetables were also available. A sea captain, whose name is inscribed in the memorial cairn across from the Digby post office, was born in the Cove and raised a family there. Up to this time White Cove has been a place for many happy memories to the generations of this area. There have been gatherings of families who have roots of past generations who return often to commemorate the memory of their past heritage here. Many, yet, take trips to White Cove for recreation and fun activities. Children love to experience the places of adventure, much treasure hunting along the shoreline. The spectacular sunsets are breath-taking sights to behold for those who have sat in the quiet solitude of a night’s venture there. Artists have spent a day here now and again leaving with visions of beauty still etched in their minds, which have no doubt inspired many sea and landscape pictures.
Nature at its fullest can be seen as the many deer and other wildlife roam the forest and shoreline. They move about and make their trails through White Cove. It is a habitat familiar to them all. Being a part of our past, present and we thought our future; it leaves us with an ache and sadness in our hearts as we grieve over the possibility of having it destroyed. Our land is very important to us who have had a part of it for so many years.
White Cove lies more than a mile [less than two Kilometers] away from the village (Little River) [and five Kilometers from Sandy Cove] on the opposite side of the North Range Mountains, which are about 300 to 350 feet above sea level. The property that has been leased extends approximately one mile each way from White Cove, providing a more than adequate buffer along Fundy shoreline. White Cove is in such an isolated spot that not one of the "tens of thousands of tourists" traveling down Highway 217 or even hiking the shoreline could possibly see it from any point on land unless they were trespassing!
1.3 Tides from the Bay of Fundy: The tides on the Bay of Fundy fluctuate from very high to very low tides. Channels cut deeply into the continental shelves and into the continent itself; the funneling waters of deep oceanic origin are very close into the coast. The Bay of Fundy is less a bay but rather a huge, flooded valley of sand and Basalt 325 kilometers (200 miles) long, covering 9700 square kilometers (6000 square miles) of very shallow sea, around 85 meters (275 feet) deep. The bay is a funnel into which compressed water is thrust forward swiftly by tidal action. This produces tides, which rise as much as 9 meters (28 feet). The daily influx and outflow of these tides create unique and interesting environments throughout much of the Neck and Islands area. The bay is constantly subjected to the twisting effect, the ‘Coriolis Force’ (A force, resulting from the rotation of the earth, that deflects other bodies or forces in motion, especially those above the earth, by causing them to veer to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.). It pushes water steadily along the Nova Scotian coast. Yet another force, the wind, exerts its added influence. It blows persistently from the southwest in seasons when the rivers are low in drought; it can seal off the mouth of the bay and the water rotates endlessly without renewal from the Gulf of Maine. All of this makes the neck and islands a very special, but attentive place for all, the people and its natural habitat.
1.4 Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour: The purpose of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour works to protect and promote: a) the safety of people and property; b) a healthy environment; and, c) employment rights; …
1.5 The Province of Nova Scotia Environmental Act: The purpose of the Province of Nova Scotia Act is to support and promote the protection, enhancement and prudent use of the environment while recognizing the following goals:
(a) Maintaining environmental protection as essential to the integrity of ecosystems, human health, and the socio-economic well-being of society; including:
(i) The principle of ecological value, ensuring the maintenance and restoration of essential ecological processes and the preservation and prevention of loss of biological diversity,
(ii) The precautionary principle will be used in decision-making so that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, the lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation, the foundation for long-term environmental protection, including:
(A) The conservation and efficient use of resources,
(B) The promotion of the development and use of sustainable, scientific and technological innovations and management systems, and,
(C) The importance of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering the products of our society,
(iii) The principle of shared responsibility of all Nova Scotians to sustain the environment and the economy, both locally and globally, through individual and government actions, remedial action and pay for the costs of that action;
…
(h) Providing access to information and facilitating effective public participation in the formulation of decisions affecting the environment, including opportunities to participate in the review of legislation, regulations and policies and the provision of access to information affecting the environment;
(i) Providing a responsive, effective, fair, timely and efficient administrative and regulatory system, recognizing that wherever practical, it is essential to promote the purpose of this Act primarily through non-regulatory means such as co-operation, communication, education, incentives and partnerships, instead of punitive measures.
SECTION TWO
Marine Life and Coastal Habitation
2.1 Definition and Description:
Environmentalists claim to have evidence that whales and other marine life are under serious threat from human-created noise. At issue is noise created by near-shore equipment … . The environmentalists say it interferes with the way marine animals communicate. There are claims man-made noise, created by large ships and large equipment [i.e. Rock Crushers] are interfering with the way marine animals live. Interruption is thought to be so significant; it's throwing out their migration and breeding patterns. Significant changes in the sediment characteristics of inter-tidal zones are being reflected in changing behavour or success of migratory birds. Changes in sea-bottom composition may be impacting organisms [lobsters, urchins, bi-valves, etc.] that live in sea-bottom, which in turn may be impacting their main predators, the shore birds. This transformation of sea-bottom composition is partly related to changes in water flow due to the construction or interruption of tidal barriers.
2.1.1 Marine Mammals: The Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) was declared was declared endangered in 1990 as a result of critically low population numbers. Historically, Right Whales were almost hunted to extinction through commercial whaling, and ever since they have had a hard time recovering. Ongoing threats for Right Whales include the noise and disturbance caused by human activities, pollution from oil and other toxic substances, and degradation of inshore habitat. Since Right Whales are surface feeders, they are also particularly threatened by collisions with ships. Over half of the remaining 300 Right Whales inhabit the Bay of Fundy in the summer months. With such a limited number left, the survival of each Right Whale is extremely important, and each birth is also quite significant.
The Western North Atlantic Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) was designated a species of special concern in 1985. Overexploitation of Humpback Whales greatly reduced their numbers prior to 1960. Depletion of capelin [a small fish of the smelt family] is of particular concern. The International Whaling Commission has protected the Humpback Whale populations in the North Atlantic since 1955.
2.1.2 Fish, Lobsters, and Urchins: Atlantic Salmon populations in most of the rivers draining into the Bay of Fundy are in extremely fragile states and, as a result, the Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon has recently been added to the was declared endangered species list. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans can find salmon in only 19 of 33 rivers of the inner Bay of Fundy. Returning adults are providing a small fraction of the required egg depositions and wild juvenile numbers are low. The cause of their decline is not certain, although there is evidence that they are 'disappearing' while at sea. The Atlantic Salmon Federation is currently conducting studies to determine why the species is not recovering as initially hoped.
Lobsters live along the east cost of North America from North Carolina to Labrador. They are abundant off southwest Nova Scotia coastline. Lobsters prefer a habitat where they can find shelter. In deep water canyons off the coast, lobsters have been observed lodged individually in small burrows dug into the face of clay cliffs. Inshore lobster populations are found on rocky bottoms, where a large number of individuals can obtain appropriate shelter. On sand or mud, lobsters may be found hiding under rocks of about their own size. In a number of areas lobsters tend to be larger in deeper water. There are exceptions; for example, large egg-bearing females are found in shallow waters in the Bay of Fundy where they reproduce and moult during the summer months.
Sea Urchins are sometimes called the porcupines of the sea. Sea urchins belong to the (Phylum echinodermata) the same group as sea stars, sand dollars, sea lilies and sea cucumbers. Sea urchins mainly congregate in colder, offshore waters, but sometimes travel into shallower waters looking for food. The green sea urchin of the Bay of Fundy is often found in tide pools and below the low-tide line. They also tend to shy away from light. Sea urchins will eat just about anything that floats by. Its sharp teeth can scrape algae off rocks, and grind up plankton, kelp, periwinkles, and sometimes even barnacles and mussels. Sea urchins are sought out and harvested by urchin-divers on Digby Neck for commercial purposes for its eggs, or roe, for food. The eggs are considered a delicacy in Asia.
2.1.3 Coastline Birds and Flora:
The Piping Plover was declared was declared endangered in 1985. The 1996 International Piping Plover Census counted 5,913 adult Piping Plovers in the world. From this total, 422 adults (7 % of the world's population) used the beaches of Atlantic Canada in the summer to raise their young. Human disturbance of nesting Piping Plover is one of the main causes for their decline.
Redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana) was declared threatened in 2002. An Atlantic Coastal Plain species, known in Canada only from a small number in Nova Scotia. The populations are small and very restricted in distribution. Threats to the species include; human alteration and loss of water habitats, water pollution, destruction of populations and habitat by bulldozers and excavators, and other noise [blasting] creating activities.
Golden Crest, (Lophiola aurea) was declared threatened in 2001. An Atlantic Coastal Plain species of plant that is found in southwestern Nova Scotia. These are the only locations for this plant in Canada. Historically, two populations were lost and the extant populations are all under some threat. Threats include alteration of wetland and shoreline habitat through land use change, water level manipulation and eutrophication (nutrient enrichment [basalt dust]).
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) was declared endangered in 2000. About one hundred pairs of Roseate Tern breed in Canada. All but a few pairs are in a small number of colonies in Nova Scotia. The size of the population and the number of breeding sites has declined markedly in the past fifty years. Coastal development all pose significant threats to this species.
Piping Plover, (Charadrius melodius) was declared endangered in 2000. In Nova Scotia only about forty breeding pairs of Piping Plovers remain. These birds are dispersed around the province on seventeen sand beaches. Despite concerted conservation efforts here and elsewhere in North America, the numbers of this species remain low. The main reasons for this include: deterioration of marginal nesting habitat due to natural events (storms, vegetation succession), human alteration of beach habitat, human disturbance during nesting and predation by birds and mammals on eggs and young.
Eastern Mountain Avens (Geum peckii) was declared endangered in 2000. This highly disjunctive plant species is found in Canada at only six sites in The Neck and Islands. At some sites the populations have declined substantially or have disappeared altogether. The draining of wetlands and the invasion of habitat due to habitat loss and degradation cause this. These invasions may be the result of nutrient enrichment by large populations of Herring and Greater black-backed Gulls.
2.2 Pros for the Quarry:
No published material could be found that would indicate that a large stone quarry would provide a suitable habitat for any marine life or coastal habitat.
2.3 Cons for the Quarry:
Due to the statements and notices made by Department of Natural Resources, Province of Nova Scotia, as reiterated in October 2002; concerning ‘Wildlife Species Protected Under the was declared endangered Species Act in Nova Scotia’, a quarry at White Cove would be a severe disaster to the region. The quarry would ruin the lobster beds and urchin beds for those lobster- and urchin-men that use the White Cove coastline for gathering this important seafood commodity; it would also have a dramatic effect of the habitat of the whales that live offshore along the Neck and Islands.
SECTION THREE
Eco-Tourism
3.1 Definition and Description:
"Eco-Tourism has been defined as a form of nature-based tourism in the marketplace. The term Eco-Tourism, therefore, refers on one hand to a concept, under a set of principles, and on the other hand to a specific market segment. The International Eco-Tourism Society in 1991 produced one of the earliest definitions: Eco-tourism is responsible for travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people. The World Conservation Union in 1996 stated that Eco-Tourism: “is environmentally responsible for travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations.” … Eco-Tourism aspires in all cases to achieve sustainable development results. However, it is important to clarify, that all tourism activities, be they geared to holidays, business, conferences, congresses or fairs, health, adventure, or Eco-Tourism should aim to be sustainable. This means that the planning and development of tourism infrastructure, its subsequent operation and also its marketing should focus on environmental, social, cultural, and economic sustainability criteria. The strong orientation of the Eco-Tourism field toward the evolution of principles, guidelines, and certification based on sustainability standards gives it an unusual position in the tourism field. In the years since the concept was first defined, discussion in conferences has provided a general consensus on the following components of Eco-Tourism.
a) Contributes to conservation of biodiversity.
b) Sustains the well being of local people.
c) Includes an interpretation / learning experience.
d) Involves responsible action on the part of tourists and the tourism industry.
e) Is delivered primarily to small groups by small-scale businesses.
f) Requires lowest possible consumption of non-renewable resources. and,
g) Stresses local participation, ownership and business opportunities, particularly for rural people."
3.2 Pros for the Quarry: None can be found in open literature, current regulations, and laws regarding the site selection and operation thereof. The Quarry is contra to Eco-Tourism [that is: activities environmentally responsible for travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature], since the quarry invades an area where people hike, bird and marine life watch, and sight-see in that area and along the coastline.
3.3 Cons for the Quarry: The Quarry would violate the spirit of Eco-Tourism and detract from people traveling near the quarry and visiting The Neck and the Islands. Due to the noise [unwanted and disturbing sound] and dust created by Quarry operations, visitation by vacationers would decline dramatically. This would have a negative affect to operators of Inns, B & Bs, Cafes and Restaurants, Gift Shops, Whale Watching Enterprises, and other Eco-Tourism Establishments on The Neck and the Islands.
Point Paper on
Basalt Quarry at White Cove on Digby Neck, Nova Scotia
This paper is submitted in four sections, which include:
4) Air Pollution and Dust;
5) Sound and Noise;
6) Water Pollution; and,
7) The Economy. Not all sections are incorporated in this edition. The first sections were promulgated earlier, and are: :
1) General Environmental Impact;
2) Marine Life; and,
3) Eco Tourism.
SECTION FOUR
SECTION FIVE
5.1.1 Noise Affect on Humans: Those who study acoustics define noise as complex sound waves that are aperiodic, in other words, sound waves with irregular vibrations and no definite pitch. Noise is defined as a signal that interferes with the detection of or quality of another signal.
Noise is a pollutant and a hazard to human and wildlife health and hearing. In fact, it has been described as the most pervasive pollutant in America. Noise in our environment affects physical heath. Noise also has psychological and social implications and affects our wellbeing and quality of life. Unfortunately, public awareness of the hazardous effects of noise is low†- especially noise considered to be non-occupational. To this end, the fourth Wednesday in April has been declared International Noise Awareness Day. As part of International Noise Awareness Day, a "Quiet Diet" is encouraged and is launched by observing 60 seconds of no noise. The reduction, if not stopping of everyday noises around us raises our awareness of the impact noise has on health and hearing.
5.1.2 Noise Affect on Wildlife: Loss of hearing, whether it be temporary or permanent, can affect animals in a number of ways. As a minimal effect, a temporary loss could prevent an animal from detecting predator or prey, or result in the animal entering an area that would be dangerous for its survival. In addition to these effects, permanent loss of hearing could result in loss of an animal's ability to communicate with con-specifics, find mates, care for young, or find food. Over the long term, loss of hearing capabilities by large numbers of a species could lessen reproductive potential and survival of the species.
5.1.3 Noise Affect on Wildlife: The anatomical and physiological effects of acoustic overexposure on the auditory systems of some ‘Dolphins’ have been documented and observed in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In early 1970 the U.S. Navy brought dolphins to the bay for a pilot program to ‘search and seek’ Viet Cong ‘sappers’ [UDT] invading the Naval Base swift-boats [PCFs], tankers, and supply ships. In a matter of days the dolphins began ‘beaching’ themselves. After consultation with the veterinarian, it was determined that the dolphins became confused due to the artillery noise in the area and general noise of the ship traffic in the bay.
5.1.3 Pros for Shipping and Blasting Noise
5.1.4 Cons for Shipping and Blasting NoiseIt is documented that blasting, quarry equipment use, and shipping noise can have a detrimental effect of humans and wildlife.
SECTION SIX
Air Pollution and Dust
4.1 Air Pollution and Dust Description and Definition: Environmental Laws of the Province promote the protection, enhancement, and prudent Use of the Environment. The purpose of this Act is to support and promote the protection, enhancement, and prudent use of the environment, while recognizing that maintaining environmental protection as essential to the integrity of ecosystems, human health, and the socio-economic well-being of the society. The principle of ecological value ensures the maintenance and restoration of essential ecological processes and the preservation and prevention of loss of biological diversity. The “precautionary principle” will be used in decision-making so that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, the lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. The principle of pollution prevention and waste reduction as the foundation for long-term environmental protection, including the conservation and efficient use of resources, the principle of shared responsibility of all Nova Scotians to sustain the environment and the economy through individual and government actions. The linkage between economic and environmental issues, recognizing that long-term economic prosperity depends upon sound environmental management and that effective environmental protection depends on a strong economy, and the “polluter-pay principle” confirming the responsibility of anyone who creates an adverse effect on the environment to take remedial action and pay for the costs of that action. Taking remedial action means providing for rehabilitation to restore an adversely affected area to a beneficial use. The government has a catalyst role in developing policies, standards, and guidelines to protect the environment. The Province is responsible for working co-operatively and building partnerships with other provinces, the Government of Canada.
The Act defines an "adverse effect" as: ‘an effect that impairs or damages the environment, including an adverse effect that affects the health of humans or the reasonable enjoyment of life or property’ … The Act defines "air" as: ‘open air and not enclosed in a building, structure, machine, chimney, stack, flue, tank or pipe.’ The Act defines "environment" as: ‘the components of the earth that include: air, land and water, organic and inorganic matter and living organisms.’ The Act defines "environmental effect" as: ‘in respect of an undertaking. any change, whether negative or positive, that the undertaking may cause in the environment, including any effect on socio-economic conditions, on environmental health, physical and cultural heritage or on any structure, site or thing including those of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance, and matter that is capable of becoming dispersed in the environment, matter that is capable of becoming transformed in the environment into matter referred to as "waste" means a substance that would cause or tend to cause an adverse effect if added to the environment.’ ‘"Waste" includes rubbish, slimes, tailings, fumes, smoke from mines or factories, and any other air emissions of any kind.’
4.1.1 What is Permitted for Air Pollution and Particulate Emissions: "No.5 Particulate Emissions (Dust)
a) Particulate emissions shall not exceed the following limits at or beyond the Site property boundaries:
(I think Ashraf has these)
b) The generation of fugitive dust from the Site will be suppressed by the application of water sprays, or the application of other suitable dust suppressants approved by the Department.
c) Site access road(s) shall be maintained to minimize dust generation. The use of used oil is NOT permitted.
d) Monitoring of particulate emissions shall be conducted at the request of the Department. The location of the monitoring station(s) for particulate will be established by the Administrator and may include point(s) beyond the property boundary of the quarry.
e) When requested, suspended particulate matter shall be measured by the high volume method as described in report No. E.P.S. 1-AP-73-2.
4.1.1 The Quarry Company’s Statement on Air Pollution and Particulate Emissions: Dust will be generated at the crushing and screening plant and from loader traffic at the excavation sites. The plant will be fitted with “water-misting” spray systems in order to reduce impacts as much as possible. The misting and spraying procedures will be applied as required to contain dust as much as possible within the extraction area. Some dust will be generated during ship loading from the stockpile as a result of the operation of the front-end loaders. This activity will be reduced when ships are loaded by conveyors directly, or direct trucking to the ship. The generation of dust from areas of cleared ground will be minimized by keeping these areas to the limited size required for each year of production.
Dust from basalt crushing has a higher specific gravity than granite dust and will settle faster. Generally speaking the finer the product the more dust is produced. Mr. Buxton advised the company would use water sprays on the equipment to suppress the dust. The wash water (water would be fresh water recycled from the wash ponds) and spray will go to the wash pond and be recycled. Excess water after a rainfall will go to the sedimentation pond. The company will recycle as much water from the wash pond as possible though some will be lost to evaporation.
(Source: Mr. Paul Buxton representing Nova Stone Exporters, Inc. (NSEI) and Global Quarry Products, Inc. (GQPI) at Community Liaison Committee (CLC) Meeting; August 8th 2002.
4.1.3 An Example of Air Pollution and Particulate Emissions: Pollution from airborne soot and dust causes or contributes to the deaths of more Californians than traffic accidents, homicides, and AIDS combined, charges a new report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), EWG's analysis of state data found that respiratory illnesses caused or made worse by microscopic particles of soot and dust, known as particulate matter (PM), are responsible for more than 10,000 deaths, more than 16,000 hospital or emergency room admissions, at an estimated health care cost of $132 million, and hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and millions of missed work days each year. "There's an overwhelming scientific consensus that particulate pollution kills people. Cleaning up the air is as important to public health and safety as wearing seatbelts." The EWG has found that by cutting particulate pollution will result in reducing PM triggered deaths by at least 69 percent, asthma attacks by 57 percent, hospital visits by 56 percent, and cases of chronic bronchitis by 58 percent. (Source: Environmental News Service; “Particulate Pollution Blamed for California Health Problems”; by Environmental Working Group (EWG)of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Renee Sharp, EWG analyst and principal author of the report, OAKLAND, California, May 22, 2002)
(This Section was not completed)
Sound and Noise
5.1 Sound Basics and Noise Ground Rules: Psychology and acoustics (psychoacoustics) experts define noise as unwanted sound. Sounds that are soothing for some, but are irritating to others. An expert on noise defines noise as "acoustic signals, which can negatively affect the physiological or psychological well-being of an individual, humans and wildlife. Sound is normally measured in decibels (dBA); these are actual measurement of sound; and, noise is the human perception of unwanted sound.
According to the Quarry Permit the following are the noise levels permitted at the quarry site at White Cove:
a) Sound levels measured at the Site property boundaries shall not exceed the following equivalent sound-levels:
Sound-Level: 65 dBA = from 0700 to 1900 hours (Days)
Sound-Level: 60 dBA = from 1900 to 2300 hours (Evenings)
Sound-Level: 55 dBA = from 2300 to 0700 hours (Nights, All Day Sunday, and Statutory Holidays
b) Monitoring of sound levels shall be conducted at the request of the Department. The location of the monitoring station(s) for sound will be established by the Administrator and may include point(s) beyond the property boundary of the quarry.
More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Of the 28 million Americans who have some degree of hearing loss, over one-third have been affected, at least in part, by noise. Human ears receive sound waves and send them through a delicately balanced system to the brain; the brain interprets these impulses as sound. When you are exposed to loud or prolonged noise, the hair cells are damaged and the transmission of sound is permanently altered. Both the amount of noise and the length of time you are exposed to the noise determine its ability to damage your hearing. Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB); the higher the decibel level, the louder the noise. Sounds louder that 80 dB are considered potentially hazardous. Both the amount of noise and the length of time of exposure determine the amount of damage. Hearing can be damaged by an intense brief impulse, like an explosion from blasting, or by continuous and/or repeated exposure to noise, [like continuous dumping of basalt rock in ship holds]. The noise chart below gives an idea of average decibel levels for everyday sounds:
a) Painful:
190 dB (in water) = large ships transiting
182 dB = human dizziness and impaired balance
120 dB = jet plane take-off
130 dB = jackhammers, rock-crushers, rock-chutes
140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine
150 dB = rock music peak
b) Extremely loud:
110 dB = rock music normal, model airplane
100 dB = snowmobile, chain saw, pneumatic-drill, and jackhammers
90 dB = lawnmower, shop tools, truck and bull-dozer traffic, compressors, tampers, rock drilling
c) Very loud:
80 dB = alarm clock, busy street
70 dB = busy traffic
60 dB = conversation by multiple persons
d) Moderate:
50 dB = moderate rainfall
40 dB = quiet room
e) Faint:
30 dB = whisper, quiet library
Examples of noise levels considered dangerous by experts are a lawnmower, a rock concert, firearms, blasting, tractors, noisy household appliances and noisy toys. All can deliver sound over 90 decibels and some up to 140 decibels.
There is a wide range of human-generated (anthropogenic) sounds in and near the aquatic environment. These include sounds produced by ships and blasting. There is evidence that temporary and permanent hearing loss occurs in dolphins and some whales. There are also almost no data on the effects of intense sounds on hearing by aquatic birds, reptiles, or invertebrates. The concern for hearing loss in these animals needs to be as great as it is for marine mammals, since many of these species are of economic importance to humans and/or keystones in the marine food chain. Damage to hearing, and thus to the ability of these animals to survive, may affect the survival of other animals that interact or depend upon these species.
Noise and other loud sounds can have a detrimental effect on animals by causing stress, increasing risk of mortality by changing the delicate balance in predator/prey detection and avoidance, and by interfering with their use of sounds in communication especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation. Very significantly, acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing.
More prolonged and/or intense exposure can result in nonreversible permanent hearing loss in mammals. In some cases, it is clear that some individual differences observed may be the result of permanent hearing loss. Whale and dolphin ears are adapted exclusively to hearing underwater. The situation can be more complicated in fish and birds, where regeneration of damaged hair cells is also possible. Over the long term, large-scale loss of hearing can potentially affect the viability of a population or species if there is a significant reproductive consequence of hearing loss in a sufficiently large segment of the population. More specifically, loss of hearing can affect behavior since it alters the ability of an animal to process acoustic signals providing information about reproductive behavior, parental care, feeding, predator avoidance, navigation, and migration. Source: Green et al., 1994).
Shipping noises are generally considered to be the single biggest factor, contributing energy in the region of low frequencies. The primary significance of ship-generated sounds would be for those animals that detect and use sounds in the lower frequency ranges; this clearly would at least include whales, dolphins, and some fishes. The supertankers, ore-container ships, and … are all important contributors; the broadband radiation is dominated by noise from propeller cavitations and dumping ore and other materials in holds; the contribution to the ambient noise at 10 miles might be about 85 dB and at 100 miles 75 dB and … . For a typical, North Atlantic noise spectrum level of 85 dB at 50 Hz, the level may be dominated by noise from one ship within 10 miles of the coastline. Pilot studies of note suggest age and exposure to noise can significantly alter hearing in marine mammals. Dolphins and some whales would be among the most liable to acoustic impacts.
Blasting and shipment of aggregate is the cheapist and most efficient means of breaking up rock in a quarry and transporting it.
See sub-sections 5.1.1, 5.1.2, and 5.1.3 above.
Water Pollution
6.1 Water Pollution Definition: *
(This Section was not completed)
SECTION SEVEN
The Economy
7.1 State of the Economy on Digby Neck and Islands: *
(This Section was not completed)
