On Going Campaign: New Harbour Dump
By Shannon Hillier
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In 2001 Allan Williams headed to the local dump in New Harbour to find a piece of pipe. What he found was tonnes of Turbot, flounder, and Redfish that was dumped there illegally during the moratorium. Allan decided to keep an eye out for what was going on at the dump. Soon he realized that the ponds were heavily polluted. Dead birds surrounded the area obviously where they had their last supper, there were even dead cats. Fish and frogs where showing up deformed, and dead May flies lined the shorelines.
Allan gathered up many of the birds and bought them home. He contacted provincial and federal governments. After taking one for testing they came back to say it was a fungal disease and that they must confiscate the rest of the birds he had collected. Unsatisfied with the answers he received Allan continued his search for the truth. One thing lead to another. Pcb's-transformers. Allan discovered that in 1985, 228 truckloads of contaminated waste was transported from the town of Makisons and buried at the New Harbour dump. In 1996 there was another 186 transformers buried there. It was all suppose to be transported to Come By Chance to be "properly disposed" of. But it was instead loaded on trucks and shipped by night to New Harbour.
Government denied such action and claimed there were absolutely no transformers at the dump. Until they were uncovered and former contractors admitted they were buried there.
A consulting group was hired to evaluate the area. Results concluded the place was a toxic cocktail. Aluminium, arsenic, iron, cadmium, cobalt, uranium, zinc and so on far exceeding any guidelines. It was recommended that action be taken and to contain the site to prevent leakage from continuing to spread. To date this has not happened. However in 2002 another consulting group, this one paid for by government was hired. SGE Archers seemed to find different results. The high levels were now below guidelines. Today the new conclusion and government stand on the issue is that the levels of metals are "natural occurring". Allan and other community members have growing frustration. For it seems no one will take the responsibility and own up to the fact that we have a problem. A very serious problem, which will only grow to be more dangerous and deadly with time. How much more damage will have to be done and how many people must suffer the effects before this problem gets the attention it deserves. Where is the common sense? The flow of water which runs down stream is about the only thing "natural occurring'' here and if there is a toxic mess at the top where do you think its going?
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