Erik BJORGAN for Parliament

THE COST OF GROWTH

Recent water pollution problems in Coldstream are but one of the most visible costs society pays for allowing the privatization of our resources, and for allowing more growth than our resources can support.

While the exact problems that caused the most recent water pollution have not yet been admitted, we can safely point to many causes. These causes are well known and have been brought to the attention of all levels of government over the last 20 years or more. During the last 4 years, ordinary people from just about every community east, west, and north of Vernon have urged local government, MoE, as well as Environment Canada to take action. One would hope that water basin boards must have also warned elected officials about upcoming disasters. Read the rest of this entry »

Canwest News Service
mdesouza@canwest.com

A federal panel that advises the government on the environmental impact of new economic development has been left on the sidelines for nearly two years, Canwest News Service has learned. Throughout this time, sweeping changes to regulations have been passed, effectively exempting thousands of projects from mandatory evaluations.

“We haven’t had any notice that the minister has dissolved the committee, but it’s kind of awkward to have a committee that doesn’t meet,” said Gary Schneider, who sits on the panel. Schneider, the co-chairman of the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward
Island, said the last meeting of the Regulatory Advisory Committee was in the spring of 2008. But, he said, no consultations were held with the panel in 2009, as the government introduced a series of exemptions for new infrastructure projects.

http://www.kelowna.com/2010/01/03/tories-have-ignored-environmental-assessment-panel-member-says/

by Jay Walljasper
http://onthecommons.org/content.php?id=2542

The biggest roadblock standing in the way of many people’s recognition of the importance of the commons came tumbling down this week when Indiana University professor Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize for economics. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Morning Star Editor,

This letter is written in response to the letter to the editor from Silverhawk Utilities, published Sunday, March 15th, regarding sewage treatment at Silver Star Mountain.

In the letter written by Sarah Yewish, on behalf of R.L. Sukovieff of Silverhawk Utilities, several details were mentioned regarding wastewater treatment on Silver Star mountain.

The main point she stressed was that Silver Star’s wastewater treatment plant does not
contribute to the contamination of Coldstream Creek. This may not be entirely true. Read the rest of this entry »

The letter below is in response to the letter to the editor published Sunday March 15th entitled “Star Sewage”.

Star sewage not welcome in drinking water.
This letter is in response to the letter written by Silverhawk Utilities, the company responsible for the treatment of sewage at Silver Star Resort, entitled “Star Sewage” written by Sarah Yewish on behalf of R.L. Sukovieff. That letter made many points, all aiming at proving that the sewage treatment done at Silver Star Resort meets government regulations and therefore should not be a concern. This letter clarifies why concerns are justified even when all government regulations are met, and why concerns need to be addressed immediately. Read the rest of this entry »

Experts now warn that BC’s deregulation of septic system sets stage for health disaster.

B.C.’s deregulation of septic systems is a “classic case study in regulatory failure” and sets the stage for a Walkerton-style health disaster in B.C., a coalition of health experts warned in a report Wednesday.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/deregulation+septic+system+sets+stage+health+disaster+experts+warn/1354411/story.html