Warning to visitors to Nova Scotia
Update: May 1st, 2015 Received word that the fracking wastewater will not be discharged through the sewer system in Debert. It will be processed by LaFarge, the cement plant in Brookfield, Nova Scotia. If you click on the proposed dumping date link in the paragraph below, you will see this event has been cancelled. There isn’t any word yet on what will happen to the 20 million litres of wastewater currently being held in ponds in Kennetcook.
Tourists, friends and family from out of province, will have to be warned about visiting Nova Scotia. The amount of toxins that is proposed to start entering the Fundy Bay on May 31st, 2015, could increase the risk of being diagnosed with cancer or some other mutated type of abnormality. Warn them not to eat the seafood and to stay away from the shores.
In a previous article we learned that Methylene Bis (Thocyanate) and 2-(Thiocyanomethylthio) Benzothiozole biocides are rated with the highest toxicity category of the US EPA. The concentration of 0.1% which AIS minimized in its submission, would be hundreds of times greater than any of the minimum exposure thresholds of concern for Toxicity Category 1.
In the report written by Ken Summers for Ecology Action Centre , other chemicals were found to be present in the fracking watewater, but because of the lack of testing, the amounts used are not given, and cannot be calculated. This list of chemicals also includes:
- Methanol
- Isoproponal
- Ethoxylated Alcohol
- Trisodium Nitrotriacetate
- Sodium Persulphate
- Diethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether
- Acrylamide Copolymer
- Fatty Acid Esters
- Terpene
- Alcohol Alkyl Alkoxylate
It needs to be noted that Environment Minister Randy Delorey sent wastewater samples to a commercial lab in the US to test for these specialized chemicals and the tests came back as undetectable amounts. These results were made publicly available in 2014.
An Australian Government Senate report (2010-13) concluded that most of these were chemicals that could not be successfully treated by reverse osmosis filtration. There isn’t any mention of these in any of the AIS reports that have been made available to the public. They simply don’t want the people to know. It’s fair to say, that if AIS pries open the doors to start dumping fracking wastewater into the bay, then it should go without saying that the council will start erecting fences around the shoreline, so people are warned not to approach.
Let’s take a look at some of these chemicals…
Trisodium nitrilotriacetate
Known carcinogen. Also an environmental hazard as it hinders the elimination of heavy metals in wastewater treatment systems. Appears in products like Tilex Soap Scum Remover & Sunlight Laundry Detergent. It is also a common flame retardent. Although it is a known carcinogen, it is overly dangerous in wastewater.
Sodium Persulfate:
Exposure via inhalation or skin contact can cause sensitization, i.e., after initial exposures individuals may subsequently react to exposure at very low levels of that substance. Exposure can also cause skin rashes and eczema. Sodium persulfate is irritating to eyes and respiratory system and long-term exposure may cause changes in lung function (i.e. pneumoconiosis resulting in disease of the airways) and/or asthma.
Benzothiazole:
A chemcial ring of Benzene and toluene. It’s Short-term health effects of exposure include dizziness, headache, loss of coordination, respiratory distress, and skin, eye, and nose and throat irritation. Long-term health effects of exposure to include kidney, liver, and blood system damage. Long term exposure to benzene can affect bone marrow, causing anaemia and increasing the risk of leukaemia and diseases such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Benzene is a health hazard even in minute quantities. The Australian drinking water guidelines for benzene state that “no safe concentration for benzene in drinking water .”
Methanol:
A highly toxic VOC readily absorbed via ingestion, inhalation, and skin exposure. Causes central nervous system depression and degenerative changes in the brain and visual system. In the body methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde and formic acid, and is toxic in very small doses if in gested. Chronic exposure causes headache, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and blindness in humans.
The above chemical descriptions were obtained from an article written by Dr Wayne Somerville B.A.(Hons.), M.Clin.Psych., D.Psy. Clinical Psychologist, titled CSG and Your Health: Understand the Risks, Protect Your Family — if you would like to read the whole article, it’s available in pdf format and can be downloaded by clicking here.
Acrylamide Copolymer as written about in an article stored in a digital library by the University of Florida has these risks associated with it:
Once inside the body, acrylamide binds to red blood cells. Potential symptoms of overexposure to monomeric acrylamide include numbness of the limbs, and weakness and lack of coordination in the legs. Long-term exposure to small doses of acrylamide causes nerve damage in the extremities. Some tunnel construction workers have experienced neurological damage from exposure to acrylamide in grout. Animal studies have shown acrylamide to be a carcinogen, although evidence supporting increased cancer in humans following occupational exposures to acrylamide remains controversial.
Terpene:
Classified as a Group 1 carcinogen. The Environmental Protection Agency’s report in the US warns about:
ECOTOXICITY
- Acute Toxicity to Fish
- Acute Toxicity to Aquatic Invertebrates
- Acute Toxicity to Aquatic Plants
HUMAN HEALTH TOXICITY
- Acute Toxicity
- Genetic Toxicity
- Repeat Dose Toxicity
- Reproductive Toxicity
- Developmental/Teratogenicity Toxicity
Alkyl Alkoxylate:
The production and use of nonylphenol and nonyphenol ethoxylates is prohibited in the European Union due to its effects on health and the environment. In Europe, due to environmental concerns. Besides being a known carcinogen, it has shown to have a negative impact on pregnant women, and people’s metabolism. Wikipedia has a good article on it if you would like more information.
There’s no safe amount of toxin or foreign chemical we can ingest with impunity. The dance with toxins is a game of chemical Russian Roulette. It won’t be safe for residents in Nova Scotia, let alone tourists, friends and family from outside, who want to visit the province. This pretty well holds true if AIS decides to have the wastewater processed through the kiln at LaFarge. It can be likened to passing your friend a loaded revolver and asking them to stick it in their mouth and pull the trigger.
11 comments
The Municipality of Colchester has Approved this Dumping, and has the Authority to Reverse the decision pending the Public Hearing (date to be announced) . Deadline May 31st !
They do. But they have a scape goat prepared. I was told by Mayor Bob Taylor, in a phone call I made to him, that the final decision was up to the ‘Sewer Committee’ and that the council would go with their recommendation as they had the utmost confidence in their ability.
So if things go south for the town council they have a scape goat… even though — that since they formed the committee, they have the power to override its decision.
I’ll tell ysh there’s nothing good about fracking it fucks up your drinking water also. If they allow this dumping they have no respect livelihoods, mother nature , wildlife. Where the hell is environment Canada. Wake up. They sure don’t just dump frac fluids in the fields in alberta. There’s actual frac fluid tank’s. Hmm you think there’s a reason for that. Wake the fuck up .
I’ll tell ysh there’s nothing good about fracking it fucks up your drinking water also. If they allow this dumping they have no respect livelihoods, mother nature , wildlife. Where the hell is environment Canada. Wake up. They sure don’t just dump frac fluids in the fields in alberta. There’s actual frac fluid tank’s. Hmm you think there’s a reason for that. Wake the fuck up . If they allow this they should have to swim in it , eat the fish that have to live in it, it’s all GREED.
Environment Canada seems to be missing in action, like our MP and MLAs. Unlikely they would go against the governments wishes.
What an absolute outrage! Is there a petition to sign and share in regards to this matter?
No, there isn’t. There is going to be a public hearing, where people who submitted appeals, will have a chance to be heard. Of course if there are a few hundred people who show up for the appeal (date yet to be announced) that alone will send a strong message.
I surely hope so – the amount of power given to politicians and policy makers, who seem to put corporate interests above all else, is very disconcerting. And should Bill C-51 go through, where will we as citizens, as residents not just of this province, or country, but of this world – where will we stand? Who is protecting our rights to a clean environment? Who is protecting marine- and wildlife? I’m really quite torn up over this. All of mankind ought to be up in arms over this willful and unnecessary destruction of our environment in the name of profit (read: greed), not just in NS, but everywhere.
I’m on the South Shore, but if I’m able (a big “if”, unfortunately), I’ll be attending the hearing. The last thing this province needs is an approval that sets a precedent for further acts of atrocity against nature.
I agree, I think that if they cared about our environment, this shouldn’t be allowed. I myself am against fracking. I hate its environmental impact it does to everywhere it’s done and I think publicly it should be voted upon. Our thoughts on OUR province should be heard. I don’t care if they don’t like it. They’re supposed to be in OUR interest not theirs. why should someone be able to ruin land and water and contribute to global warming and say its okay yet we have a controversal government telling us to recycle, to cut back oh heat, oil, water, electricity…. and how we will eventually have possible carbon tax or pollution tax…. . Its bullshit. How is it much different? Its not going to save lives to throw tax onto something that they’re doing themselves and we will eventually pay for and they’re allowing it or doing it themselves….. they already spend enough tax payers money to have a conference . They’ve proven that there’s methane in the ground. On top of pollution eating away at our lungs and the animals they reduce for no good reason, and in the end …..All of it goes up or someone pockets money that doesnt get used. And they wonder why our taxes are so high with the population is reduced. They’ll blame the weather or an oil spill or something, then thousands of ppl if not more, will get sick…. or die off and they’ll blame cigarettes, alcohol, and some new rare disease. When really its foreign chemicals added to our food groups…. now i know why ppl want to have their own man made water holes to go fishing lol because , Now they want to poison our community . Lol They’re not thinking.
Cant you do a canada wide petition? Re https://savethebayoffundy.ca/2015/02/
Thank you for your comments Monica.
I know there are all kinds of online petitions; I see them daily. And before the appeals were due, there was a website setup where one could go and submit an appeal. To the best of my knowledge, most of them were rejected unless the applicant was a resident of Colchester County. This relates to the environment laws where the municipality is required to consult with the county, not those living outside the county.
I’m guessing this is also true if they reject the wastewater here, and they try and put it through the Windsor sewer plant. Those of us in Colchester County… won’t have a say.