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Dear All, Apr 28, 2011
An article in the Chron Hrld today (Minks make stink) illustrates how
difficult it is to correct a problem when the powers that be want to sweep
everything under the rug.
A severe problem in Lake Fanning in 2006 led to field studies by NS DO
Environment in 2008, 2009 and 2010 but the source of contamination wasn't
located because that was not in the mandate. The mandate apparently being
"study this slowly and with blinders pulled tight." Why otherwise, could it
take more than 5 weeks (let along 5 years) to nail down the cause and
develop a solution ?
Reading between the lines of this sketchy article, the source
contamination can not be Nitrate or Ammonia N because the organisms involved
all fix N from air. Presumably P, found to be high, is the culprit..
P can reach water systems (rivers/lakes) only by runoff high in P or by
way of soils that are hugely overloaded with P to the extent it is mobile in
soil water.
One should not rush to judgment, and conclude that mink waste is the
source, but the reminder by Agriculture's communication director that the
industry brings in millions of $$$ is proof, at least from that quarter.
Composting of mink waste is mentioned, but if the waste is in fact high
in P then usual composting practices would be ineffective unless high rates
of suitable P-capturing materials were admixed with or layered below the
compost; e.g. Anhydrite, a by-product of Gypsum extraction, spent fluidized
bed material from power plants or Cement kiln dust.
I was astounded some 15 years ago to learn that NS DOE has no labs and
is staffed largely be people with no science background. DOE employees and
the NS public continue to have my sympathy.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
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