The Sandy Pond Alliance in conjunction with Sierra Club Canada has launched a court challenge to the proposed Vale Inco nickel processing facility at Long Harbour Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Specifically they are concerned about the destruction of a unique natural water body, Sandy Pond. It is designated to be used as a mine tailings pond for the life of the nickel smelter and then left as a toxic site to be looked after by the people of Long Harbour and Newfoundland in perpetuity. If permitted to proceed as planned this project will continue the 100+ years of destructive mining and smelting practices in Newfoundland and Labrador leaving in its path many toxic sites with little, if any funds for restoration or clean-up. The  Sandy Pond Alliance and the Sierra Club in Newfoundland and Labrador need your help to challenge these practices. They are looking for 100 people to step up and contribute $50 each to support our court challenge.  The contributions are not tax deductible.  You will be contributing to direct advocacy to protect and restore the rugged yet fragile natural habitats in Newfoundland and Labrador. Please send checks or money orders to: Sierra Club Canada, PO Box 1501, 354 Water Street, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1C 1C0. (Anonymity and privacy respected). To find out more about our Sandy Pond initiative visit the Sierra Club Atlantic Canada website. For further information, contact Fred Winsor of Sierra Club Canada, St. John’s, NL at winsorf@nl.rogers.com.

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(Originally published in the The Telegram on August 30, 2010)
Fred Winsor, Chairman of Atlantic Canada Chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada.
I write in response to the recent discussion regarding the toxic emissions coming from the Holyrood generating station and efforts by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador in conjunction with Nalcor to make the right long-term decision for electricity generation in eastern Newfoundland.

While we are concerned about the heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury coming out of the stacks at the Holyrood station, we are equally concerned about the 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions being produced annually at that generating station.

The most recent, peer-reviewed scientific research on the health of oceans, reveals that the ocean absorbs approximately 50 per cent of  these GHGs. The result is an increase in ocean temperature and ocean acidification.

According to a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ocean acidification occurs because carbon dioxide changes when it is absorbed by seawater. It is very similar to the process of carbonating water for soda pop: the ocean soaks up about 50 per cent of the CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels. In the ocean the CO2 is converted to a slightly acidic substance called carbonic acid (H2CO3). More >>

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Legal representatives for the Sandy Pond Alliance will be in the Federal Court of Canada Circuit Court when it sits in St. John’s this Friday, September 10, to make its case to have the Metalurgical Mining Effluent Regulations removed from the Federal Fisheries Act, as a means to protect Canada’s natural freshwater lakes and ponds from being listed for use as waste sites for poisonous mine and smelter waste. The case will be heard in Newfoundland Supreme Court Chambers on Duckworth Street, St. John’s at 10:00 am, Friday September 10, 2010. Environmentalists and other interested citizens are encouraged to attend.

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The Households and the Environment Survey questioned Canadians about their recycling habits in 2007, but the results weren’t released until now. It found Newfoundland and Labrador households had the worst access to recycling in Canada and that the province has limited ability to recycle the four types of recyclable materials: paper, glass, metal and plastic.

The study found just 71 per cent of homes in Newfoundland and Labrador had access to recycling services versus an average of 95 per cent of households in the rest of Canada. In P.E.I., 100 per cent of homes could access recycling. More>>

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On July 12 the North Eastern Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) are meeting in Lenox, Massachusetts to discuss regional issues, including the progress of the regional Climate Change Action Plan. The Atlantic Canadian Sustainable Energy Coalition (ACSEC), a coalition of non-governmental organizations, including Ecology Action Centre, Sierra Club Canada – Atlantic, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, and ECO-PEI has released its 2010 Score Cards for three participants of the NEG-ECP: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. More >>

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In honour of Canada’s 143rd birthday the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), has secured 5 acres (two hectares) of natural habitat in the Grand Codroy Valley on the southwestern coast on the island of Newfoundland. This important estuary is one of 10 Gifts to Canadians announced this week in celebration of Canada Day.

The Chaisson property is located on the south side of the mouth of the Grand Codroy estuary and protects over 40 feet of estuarine shoreline. Combined with the forest located on the northern side of the property, and the estuary, the property provides important staging and nesting habitat for songbirds and especially waterfowl, as well as small mammals. The Grand Codroy estuary is known for its large populations of migrating and nesting waterfowl, lush freshwater marshes, rare plants and many songbirds uncommon to Newfoundland and Labrador. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has identified the Grand Codroy Estuary as a priority site and this recent acquisition brings the total land secured in the area above 500 acres (202 hectares).

Partnership is at the heart of NCC’s work. Many partners have come together to help secure the Chaisson property, including Coleman Group of Companies, Dr. Sargent & Ruth Ann Horwood and Oceanex Inc. But this year, all 10 NCC Gifts to Canadians (one in each province), have also been made possible through the Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program. This unique public-private partnership helps non-government organizations secure ecologically sensitive lands to ensure the protection of our country’s diverse ecosystems, wildlife and habitat. More >>

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