A big thanks to all our members and donors for the incredible support you have provided to Fundy Baykeeper over the past year!

From all the staff at FBK and the Conservation Council we wish you a Happy Holiday and the very best in 2007.

Feature Story...

Public meeting: Future of Bayside Quarry

On December 11, 2006, Charlotte County residents gathered at the W.C. O’Neill Arena in St. Andrews for a public meeting and information session regarding the possible expansion of the Bayside quarry operation, held by the Town Council of St. Andrews.

“There must have been at lease 200 people at the meeting, this really shows an interest by the community in being involved with any potential changes with the Bayside quarry,” said Fundy Baykeeper David Thompson.

The meeting entailed a series of presentations by local residents and the consulting company Foreau, and provided an opportunity for people to ask questions and express their view on current quarry operation and the possible expansion. Presentations ranged from: aerial photographs of the quarry operation and the trail network on Simpson Hill, which overlooks the operation and is next to the possible expansion site; to the affects of arsenic on humans –an element that in some areas is trapped in rock but can be released by the quarrying processes and leach into the watershed causing a variety of neurological disorders and cancers.

“For those who have never seen the quarry or the trail system on Simpson Hill, the pictures helped depict the contrast between the quarry and the beauty of the forest and trials on Simpson Hill,” stated David Thompson.  

Foreau representative, Martin LaChapelle’s presentation was about having a Watershed Management Plan for the Town of St. Andrews. He explained that it’s beneficial to have a proactive plan, that is, one that is in place so that if something were to happen to the watershed the Town would have the tools in place to deal with the issue, rather than a reactive one, where the problem occurs then action is taken to deal with it.

Jamer Materials and the government were also invited to attend the meeting. While Jamer Materials representatives Mark Clark and David Clark attended, they did not make a formal presentation instead they answered questions, and Mark spoke to the concerns of the quarry expansion, stating that the company would not consider expansion of the quarry without “extensive scientific analysis and public consultation”. Many residents, however, are sceptical that this wouldn’t be enough, as a list of previously broken promises, made by company, was expressed by the Local Service District (LSD) Representative of Charlotte County, Gary James.

“If the quarry put in an application for expansion, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be required, an extensive scientific analysis needs an EIA as part of the process,” said Thompson. He said the expansion has many residents of Charlotte County worried, as they had been lead to believe that once a lay down area for the port was completed the quarrying at the Bayside port would cease.

Although invited, there was no representation of the newly elected provincial government at the meeting.

The president of the Longshoreman’s Union at the Bayside Port also spoke during the question and answer period, stating that the Union was not taking a position on the matter, and that they wished to remain neutral. 

Thompson made it clear that any alteration to the landscape and hillside along the St. Croix estuary would be detrimental to the ecology, history and the eco-tourism based economy that has developed over the years along the St. Croix River. “Desecration of the landscape is not compatible with economic growth in the area,” said Dave Thompson.

Log Updates...

Pipeline from Canaport LNG to USA. Fundy Baykeeper, David Thompson, worked with the Saint John chapter of the Conservation Council and the Friends of Rockwood Park to intervene at National Energy Board (NEB) hearings, which were held for three weeks in Saint John. The proposed pipeline, which will connect Canaport LNG terminal to US markets, will run through high density residential areas in Saint John, near the hospital and blood bank, through the Old Howes Lake dump, past schools, playing fields, threw the middle of Rockwood Park, along side huge oil storage tanks at the Irving refinery, past the rehabilitation centre, and under the Saint John River at Indian Town. This pipeline presents an unacceptable risk to both public safety and the environment. 

Only 5 out of 42 inventors, at the hearings, supported the proposal. These were all large energy companies. The NEB received 189 letters of comment, of which 184 opposed the pipeline. Eighteen individuals made oral statements at the hearings, 16 were opposed while only 2 were in favour.

Baykeeper also assisted with the petition against the pipeline which was signed by over 15,000 people and presented to the NEB. Clearly, the public and the large corporations are on different wave lengths with this project.

An alternate route for the pipeline, which Emera Brunswick Pipeline Co. looked at and so far have rejected, would pass under the Bay of Fundy through degraded seabed at the mouth of Saint John Harbour. This route would reduce public risk in the event of a fire or explosion. The under the bay route would also shorten the pipeline by 10km.

We await a decision by the NEB, which is expected early in the New Year.

Oil leaks at Coleson Cove. As a part of the Liaison Committee to set up the Coleson Cove generating station, Dave Thompson has been actively engaging in committee meetings. At the last one, he found out that there had been three oil spills from the generating station that were not made public. Two of these spills made their way to the Bay of Fundy via the stations coolant discharge, the largest of which was about three barrels. Baykeeper has asked for better monitoring to prevent this situation from happening again.

Investigation Maces Bay. Fundy Baykeeper Dave Thompson responded to a report that a large barrel containing ‘a liquid’ had washed ashore on the beach. Upon investigation, the large, unmarked barrel, turned out to be non-hazardous, and was half filled with sea water.

Upcoming Events...
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January 14, 2006

Screening of the film: An Inconvenient Truth. 7pm at the W.C. O'Neill Arena Theatre. Tickets are $5 or give what you can. Tickets will be available on January 8, 2007 at Cockburn's Drug Store and the Fundy Baykeeper Office -529.8838.
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January 23, 2007

Meeting of the Charlotte County Chapter of the Conservation Council of NB will be held at 7:30pm at the Clarke House in St. Andrews (62 Princess Royal St.).

All are welcome to participate in our monthly meetings!

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