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From: "Janet M Eaton" <jeaton@fox.nstn.ca> (sent to many lists) Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 21:50:30 +0000 Subject: ACTION ALERT -Eliz. May's Hunger Strike vs. Toxic 'Tar Ponds PLEASE FORWARD & TAKE ACTION IF POSSIBLE BY CALLING THE PREMIER OF NOVA SCOTIA (902) 424- 6600 provincial Health Minister James Muir: (902) 424-5818 federal Health Minister Allan Rock: (613) 947-5000 Dear All: I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Nova Scotia and Canada who supports Elizabeth May's hunger strike. I have been in touch personally with Elizabeth May and members of her campaign, have been following the media reports which are emerging and have some prior knowledge of the issue . On this basis I offer an update on her hunger strike and encourage any who can to offer support for her courageous actions to bring attention and resolution to this imperative and intolerable issue. Elizabeth May, well known Canadian environmentalist, activist, academic and Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada [SCC] is on a hunger strike on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to secure help to relocate families living adjacent to the most toxic waste dump in North America - the Sydney tar ponds in Nova Scotia. It's been 12 years since the federal and provincial governments launched a project to clean up the tar pond . The project which was a mammoth failure has since been abandoned, more and more studies ensue, and meanwhile residents continue to face one of the highest levels of cancer anywhere in the country, all manner of illness and abnormal levels of birth defects and premature births while officials consistently downplay any danger in spite of overwhelming evidence. . [ For further background see media releases and SCC Fact Sheet : Sydney Tar Ponds Backgrounder, Nightmare on Frederick Street - below] Elizabeth is in the sixth day of her hunger strike and will be back on the steps of Parliament Hill on Monday morning. She can be reached Monday through Friday through the office of the Sierra Club of Canada Ottawa Ph # 613) 241- 4611. Individuals from the Sierra Club Office are taking turns sitting with her and relaying messages received. Members of Parliament, including some opposition leaders and citizens of Ottawa are stopping to offer their encouragement. Elizabeth continues to conduct media interviews and tomorrow morning she will be seen on CTV's Canada A.M. at 8:40. International attention is growing. Lois Gibbs, well known activist, from New York State's infamous toxic waste site, the Love Canal, has been in touch to offer encouragement and is coming to Ottawa this week to offer further support in person. Calls for action are flowing in to Federal Health Minister Alan Rock's office from across the country and citizens are being encouraged to call the office of the Premier of Nova Scotia tomorrow as well to demand immediate action on the issue -- not more studies. PLEASE CALL: Federal Health Minister Allan Rock 613) 947-5000 OR (613) 957- 0200 Nova Scotia Premier, The Hon. John Hamm 902) 424- 6600 NS Minister of Health James Muir 902) 424-5818 and /or WRITE : Health Minister, Hon. Allan Rock E-mail Rock.A@parl.gc.ca cc Prime Ministerof Canada, the Hon. Jean Chretien E-mail pm@pm.gc.ca Premier of Nova Scotia, Hon John Hamm E-mail premier@gov.ns.ca cc Opposition Leaders, NS Government NDP Interim Leader Darrel Dexter- ndpcaucus@gov.ns.ca Leader of Liberal Party Wayne Gaudet - gaudetw@gov.ns.ca: Some friends and supporters have been sending flowers to the steps of the Parliament Buildings to support Elizabeth May personally for her courageous action against such intolerable inaction. This e-mail contains 3 items for your information: [1] Rock to help families move from polluted Sydney homes Sierra Club official begins hunger strike By Kelly Toughill ATLANTIC CANADA BUREAU HALIFAX - [2] Hunger striker wants help for toxic tar pond's neighbours WebPosted Wed May 2 15:37:27 2001 CBC News [3] Sydney Tar Ponds Backgrounder Nightmare on Frederick Street Sierra Club of Canada Fact Sheet For Your Information, Janet M Eaton, PhD 89 Main St., Wolfville, NS. Ph 542- 1631 =======================. [1] May. 3, 01:50 EDT Rock to help families move from polluted Sydney homes Sierra Club official begins hunger strike By Kelly Toughill ATLANTIC CANADA BUREAU HALIFAX - http://www.thestar.com Health Minister Allan Rock wants to help evacuate dozens of families from a polluted Cape Breton neighbourhood while scientists probe the dangers of the area's toxic stew. Rock's office made the surprise announcement yesterday just hours after a prominent environmentalist began a hunger strike on Parliament Hill, demanding the relocation of residents in Sydney's Whitney Pier neighbourhood. ``The minister has asked his officials to work with counterparts to develop a plan to offer temporary relocation to any families on the three streets in question,'' said Catherine Lappe, Rock's senior adviser. ``We don't have a definition of what the cost is right now . . . We will have to determine how many people take it up, how long they need temporary relocation and so on.'' Lappe said Rock was too busy yesterday to make the announcement himself. She also refused to say whether Rock would pay for the move, or simply supports the idea if it is funded by other agencies. Reaction to Rock's pledge of support was muted in the working-class neighbourhood where scientists recently found a toxic brew of poisonous chemicals in the soil and groundwater. Anne Ross, who has already been moved out of her house once temporarily, said Rock's promise is not enough. They should stop the studies, move the people and offer us permanent relocation so we can get on with our lives' - Anne Ross, Sydney resident ``They should stop the studies, move the people and offer us permanent relocation so we can get on with our lives,'' she said. Elizabeth May, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, said Rock's pledge to help with temporary relocation would not end the hunger strike she began yesterday. ``I appreciate that Minister Rock has expressed his sympathy, but (his statement) falls short of a commitment to relocate people. Maybe it can be clarified.'' Nova Scotia officials have consistently downplayed any danger in the neighbourhood, despite a recent study done by consultant JDAC Environment. It found a rainbow of heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals in the neighbourhood wedged between a former steel plant and a former coal-processing factory. One test showed levels of arsenic 70 times higher than the maximum exposure recommended by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. Sydney has one of the highest cancer rates in the country, as well as abnormal levels of birth defects and premature births The centre of Sydney is famous for its toxic tar ponds, a stinking pit of sewage and industrial goo that includes 700,000 tonnes of carcinogens. The federal government set up a citizens' group five years ago to deal with cleaning up the mess. The Joint Action Committee, with a budget of $60 million, has been widely criticized for failing to begin the clean-up. Last week, the committee called on all three levels of government to help move 85 families off three streets in Whitney Pier because of toxic chemicals discovered in the latest testing. Provincial officials have downplayed the danger, saying just because the chemical concentrations are higher than federal environment guidelines doesn't mean that they will hurt local residents. ``I don't know if there is a danger,'' said Dr. Jeff Scott, Nova Scotia's medical officer of health, yesterday. ``That's what we need to find out.'' A scientist from Florida has been hired to determine if the toxic chemicals in Whitney Pier pose a short-term health risk to the residents. But project manager Walter Van Veen said no one has yet been hired to figure out what the danger of long-term exposures. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list (sust-mar). http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Volunteer moderator: Paul Falvo mailto:sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca To submit a message to sust-mar, please send it to: mailto:sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca PLEASE SEND MESSAGES TO SUST-MAR IN PLAIN TEXT ONLY MESSAGES CONTAINING HTML (MIME) CANNOT BE POSTED
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