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.

Yet here we are, with the 3 major causes of water pollution having only worsened and MoE still remaining silent. The first cause relates to the top of the watershed, Silver Star Park. Its 9000 hectares were set aside in 1940 to preserve the subalpine environment and community watersheds, and protect as recreational area for all British Columbians. Silver Star mountain is particularly vulnerable to pollution because it consists of fractured rock over aquifers and is headwaters to creeks supplying water to many communities.

Today over 40% of the park has been deleted, at the request of the privately owned ski resort which operated within the park. Although MLA Pat Jordan told the BC Legislature in 1975 that “when the administration of this park is turned over to the regional district,there must be an ironclad agreement that no housing development can take place within that park – no condominiums, no living accommodation.” Yet today Silver Star Resort is selling real estate and has an application for 26,550 more bed units, with no plan to upgrade sewage facilities that are already far from adequate, and for 1,000 homes to be built in the doubtful Silver Star Golf Course.

These developments depend on the heavy precipitations that fall on the mountain, the same water that the aquifers and the creeks depend on. Now instead of clean snowmelt in the spring, they receive sewage effluent all year long instead. These brown smelly effluent make their way into salmon creeks, including Coldstream creek and Kalamalka lake, and inside the fractured rock to the underground aquifers.

But didn’t 6 of our RDNO directors attest that we have nothing to worry about with these effluent? Well, they are wrong. The Silver Star biological treatment system does not work well in cold weather and can only take a certain amount of effluent. One look at the video called “Silver Star Sewage Lagoon” on Youtube or at http://savesilverstarpark.org/Sewage/231/ attests to the problems. Even when sewage is “fully treated”, the effluent contain hormones, pharmaceuticals, toxic cleaning products, and other compounds that although invisible, are highly damaging.

The second cause is the extremely high number of cattle permitted to live on the watershed. Although we have rules for the number of people land can support, and although it is estimated that a cow eliminates about 30lbs of urine and 65lbs pounds of feces daily,we allow many more cows than the land can support. While a certain number of cows enrich the land, too many pollute it.  Think of the impact of Coldstream ranch’s 5,000 cows on Coldsteam creek and underground aquifers!

The third cause is human population growth. We are now working at developing a “Growth Strategy” while we know we are already short on water and our air is polluted. Why? Who benefits from all this growth? Is is the children who have to cope with more traffic, air pollution, crime, and water pollution? Is it seniors who fear walking on the streets? Or is it young families who can ill afford to live in the cities where they grew up because of rising prices?

None of the above. While some few make profits, the rest of society pays dearly for it. However none of us pay as dearly as the animals who depend on disappearing grassland, forests, clean water, or healthy soil to survive. They are dying from a thousand cuts and we’d be wise to remember that our survival depends on theirs.