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MERRITT HERALD TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
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“I NEVER DEMONSTRATED IN MY LIFE, NOW I’M OUT HERE ON THE STREET” Provincial action on biosolids doesn’t deter Kamloops protest
Michael Potestio THE MERRITT HERALD
While the Ministry of Environment begins a scientific review of biosolids in the Nicola Valley, protesters picketed in Kamloops to tell the provincial government they demand operations surrounding the treated sewage turned fertilizer be stopped. On Friday, protesters from Merritt protested in downtown Kamloops outside Hotel 540, where provincial government officials were meeting. Protesters outside the hotel blocked Victoria Street at 5th Avenue to hand out biosolids information sheets. The protesters believe biosolids contain contaminants that are harmful to the soil and water. Lower Nicola Chief Aaron Sam said the protest was done to let government know they will not accept anymore biosolids being trucked to the Nicola Valley. Meanwhile, a technical working group is being formed by the environment ministry to conduct the scientific review that will examine those concerns. The group will include professionals from the Ministry of Environment, First Nations Health Authority and Interior Health Authority. An advisory committee is also being established to oversee the technical working group and will make recommendations to Environment Minister Mary Polak. Minister Polak said the work
“I’m emotional. I retired up here to have peace and quiet and go fly fishing, instead I got people bringing in sewage sludge and dumping it up behind my property,” said Nicola Valley resident Alan Horne to reporters at Friday’s protest. “I never demonstrated in my life, now I’m out here on the street.” Dave Eagles/Kamloops This Week
this group will differ from what the ministry already does to regulate biosolids by taking a more comprehensive look.
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She said ministry staff have drawn up a draft sampling plan for the working technical group, which will determine the final plan.
“We’ve been developing this plan, sharing it together with the chiefs, to go even further to try and reassure the First Nations communi-
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ty, but also the broader community,” Polak said, noting this is an initiative outside the usual monitoring and testing the ministry does with respect to biosolids proponents. She said the ministry will address any concerns or unexpected results if they come about from the scientific review. The review will take the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation into consideration, but the OMRR itself is not being reviewed. “Certainly, if there is anything as a result of this study that indicates that we should — that somehow some of our regulations are deficient — then we would certainly be willing to do that, but we’re not going to engage in a review of the regulations unless there’s some evidence that would warrant that,” Polak said. She said part of what the review will look into will be determined by the technical working group with advice from the advisory committee. Sam said the five chiefs support scientific testing and view it as a step in the right direction, but haven’t decided if they will participate in the advisory committee. Chief Sam said he thinks this testing needs to be done over the course of a year rather than a few months. According to Polak, the testing is meant to evaluate established biosolids proponents in the Nicola Valley, and determine if biosolids have had any impacts on land, water and wildlife.
See ‘Ministry’ Page 2
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