Forum
Donkin Coal Mine Structural Violence
This is the story of a resilient seaside community
In Cape Breton, which became plagued by noise pollution from the enormous ventilation fans of a nearby coal mine.
Why it matters: This industry assaults us every day for over 5-years and it is sanctioned by the state. Under the existing self-regulatory framework, the government is powerless. Once the company has the power to self-regulate within their industrial Approval, the ability to police themselves, it's profit over public health.
Local residents of surrounding communities have endured over five years of suffering -– the evolution of noise-induced harm is slow and insidious and residents are now on the verge of developing chronic health effects.
Residents are also feeling anger, grief, a sense of injustice and feel further victimized by the callus lack of political action to protect community health.
The following facts demonstrate a troubling systemic pattern that shows the approach of the Nova Scotia government is to just work in collaboration with unchecked extractive mining companies at all costs, including profit over community health.
To be succinct: There’s an undercurrent of, ‘well, this is not Halifax, there’s no one out there, so who cares’ –– a cautionary tale for all communities in Nova Scotia to heed. |Read more|