LETTERS/NEWS :Nov.2003
From the Digby courier
Letter by our MLA - Harold Theriault
....
I copy the updates as they are sent on
to me from the committee.... The opinions expressed are of those of the committee and members of the Society... ( Claudia )
These "Pictures" were taken spring/early summer
of 2003 after work done by Quarry crew...
Dry Ponds at Whites Cove...
Bank in back of brook - 25 ft.high
We believe this was the brook - now dammed
Back up pond showing bales of hay which
would allow overflow to escape (we think)
Rock that dams the pond
Streams running down pond
After the rain
More water from mountain into pond
Backdoor for overflow (we think)
Water starting to overflow
...More overflow...
Water runs freely to Bay of Fundy...
To see a recent " ARIEL VIEW "of the site click below:
ArielView
These were sent by Marilyn Stanton - Secretary
Contributed to Website July 23, 2003
CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED BASALT QUARRY AND MARINE TERMINAL
AT WHITE’S COVE, DIGBY NECK, NOVA SCOTIA
Submission for the Hearings of the Standing Committee on
Fisheries and Oceans in Halifax on May 8, 2003
I am addressing the Committee on behalf of the Partnership for Sustainable Development of Digby Neck and Islands Society regarding our concerns about the potential threats to our fishery on Digby Neck and in the Bay of Fundy from the proposed, large-scale quarry and marine terminal. We are concerned about the potential threats of the proposed quarry to the well-being of the environment in the Bay of Fundy, St. Mary’s Bay and on the frail peninsula, Digby Neck and Islands, which lies between the two bays. We have been told that the project is too small and local for the Standing Committee to review. However, because this area provides one of the most lucrative fishery operations remaining in Nova Scotia, we sincerely believe that it must be protected. We are aware of severe problems elsewhere in the Atlantic fishery. We want to protect our sustainable lifestyle here.
On April 30, 2002, Nova Stone Exporters (with Global Quarry Products as operator) were given a permit by Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour for operating a 3.9-hectare quarry at White’s Cove, Digby Neck. Global Quarry Products has filed an application under Section 5 of the Navigable Waters Protection Act for approval of the plans and site of the project (described under deposit # 2704) for a Marine Terminal in the Bay of Fundy at White’s Cove, Digby County, Nova Scotia. The proposed terminal forms an integral part of the basalt quarry to be located in the 380-acre site at White’s Cove.
Our specific concerns are outlined below:
BLASTING
Quarrying of basalt will involve the use of explosives for blasting. “The use of explosives may result in a number of adverse impacts on fish and marine mammals and their habitats.” (Guidelines for the Use of Explosives In or Near Canadian Fisheries Waters, Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2107, 1998, page 3.) These Guidelines (Section 7) also state that “ No explosive is to be knowingly detonated within 500 m of any marine mammal.” At White’s Cove, seals are present all year, both along the shoreline and in the adjacent waters. Whales also frequent the waters adjacent to the quarry site for 4 to 12 months of the year, depending on the species.
Section 8 of the Guidelines states that “No explosive is to be detonated in or near fish habitat that produces, or is likely to produce an instantaneous pressure change (i.e., overpressure) greater than 100 kPa (14.5 psi) in the swimbladder of a fish.” The effects of blasting on the migratory and behavioural patterns of herring, haddock, pollock, and cod may also result in a significant decline of the ground fishery.
SILTATION, WATER CONTAMINATION, AND LIGHT
The siltation resulting from the spread of dust from blasting and grinding of basalt and erosion of soil from the stripped and mined areas will be carried to and deposited in the Bay of Fundy. This siltation deposit will have a negative impact on the marine habitat of lobsters, periwinkles, sea urchins and other species. We do not know how far the cumulative impact will spread and how severe it will be.
The groundwater will be contaminated by the residue of explosives and dissolved heavy metals from washing of the aggregate. The contaminated water may end up in the water supply of the homes in the neighbourhood of the quarry. The runoff from the quarry operations will eventually enter the Bay of Fundy and contaminate the marine habitat.
The continuous, 24 hours a day, presence of light in the quarry site will have a detrimental impact on the sustenance of the marine life.
NAVIGATION
The proposed marine terminal, which projects some 200 meters out from the high water mark, will interfere with the normal navigation routes of small craft around White’s Point. In addition to the lobster boats, which will be operating from November to June, there are a number of small (less than 40') fishing boats that fish in and navigate these waters from April to November. Furthermore, small, private sport boats operate in the Bay of Fundy during the summer months.
Sailing around this pier and dealing with the docking of a 700' vessel on an unspecified basis will present both operational and safety concerns to these fishermen and recreational boaters. If they try to go around the pier against the tide in adverse wind and /or fog conditions, they would be facing an increasingly hazardous situation.
The rip tide and the associated higher sea state conditions not only present a safety concern for the local craft in these waters but also for the large vessels which will be using this pier. These safety concerns are amplified in the presence of fog, which is a common occurrence at this site. The proponents of this project have already stated publicly that the weather conditions that occur during the winter months could cause them to curtail shipments. Weather conditions in the Bay of Fundy are very changeable and unpredictable at all times of the year. Many local residents have difficulty in accepting the concept of an unprotected marine terminal on the Fundy shore of Digby Neck. Whose responsibility would it be to determine the weather conditions which would make docking at this facility hazardous? Before any proposed marine terminal is approved for White’s Point, we would suggest that a detailed engineering feasibility study be carried out as to the viability of such a terminal. The potential environmental dangers of a large freighter being damaged on the Bay of Fundy shore need to be addressed before approval is given for such a terminal.
BALLAST WATER We understand that the basalt aggregate from the quarry will be shipped to the northeast United States. The vessels will arrive at the marine terminal at White’s Point with ballast water from the New York-New Jersey coastal waters which we know to be polluted with organisms which, in some cases, have yet to be identified. It is reported that, over the past four years, the number of licensed fishermen has been reduced from 1,100 to 100 in Long Island Sound. This will present a potentially devastating impact on the spawning grounds of one of the richest fishing areas left in Atlantic Canada. To use the excuse that the addition of these vessels to the traffic in the Bay of Fundy will be insignificant is not valid. We cannot underestimate the future hazards associated with the imported toxic cocktail in the Bay.
Unfortunately, we have not been informed whether any socio-economic study has been done by the Nova Scotia Government to determine the impact of the quarry operation on the local economy. We believe that the number of jobs lost in the fishery and eco-tourism cannot be compensated by the small number of potential jobs in the quarry. To add insult to injury, no royalties will be accrued to the Government of Nova Scotia by the quarrying of basalt.
Kemp Stanton,
Chair
Partnership for Sustainable Development of Digby Neck and Islands Society
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