Protesters say no to biosolids
On Victoria Street, protesting biosolids.
NEWS/ ENVIRONMENT — About 40 protesters took over the 500 block of Victoria Street on Friday to protest the storage of biosolids in the Nicola Valley.
Carrying placards that said Science Says No to Sewage Sludge, Respect First Nations Moratorium and Bye Bye Jackie — the latter an apparent reference to Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart — they chanted and mingled on the street for several hours as RCMP and passersby watched.
Tegart has been under fire for not taking a strong enough stand on the biosolids issue. Kamloops MLAs Terry Lake and Todd Stone stopped to talk with the protesters Friday.
Chief Aaron Sam of the Lower Nicola Band said the protest was organized to continue bringing attention to the biosolids issue near Merritt as well as to lend support to concerns about the Blackwell Dairy biosolids operation in Kamloops.
Ruth Madsen, who is working with Barnhartvale residents on the Blackwell issue, joined the rally, as did Neskonlith Band chief Judy Wilson.
Earlier this week, Tegart and B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak announced the provincial government will establish a technical working group to conduct a scientific review of the use of biosolids in the Nicola Valley.
The review will focus on developing a monitoring and testing regime for biosolids, reviewing the effectiveness of the current requirement for a land application plan, and reviewing research on how biosolids impact wildlife and determine if any monitoring or testing is required.
The working group will include staff from the ministry, First Nations Health Authority and Interior Health Authority. An advisory committee will oversee the working group.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
I really wish that Mel could implement a like / dislike button here. Everyone’s posts are great , and I agree with all of you.
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crusty clark is not intelligent enough to review anything…she is doing as she is told…
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What are they going to assess, compliance with their own bizarre regulations? The very same regulations that the Protecter’s are protesting against? I am interested in seeing Christy Clark and Mary Polak’s “test” that will quantify people’s spiritual belief in the earth. The provincial capital Victoria, BC is still spewing raw sewage into the Salish Sea. Now Christy and Mary have made the giant leap to spreading 4.6 million residents medical, industrial and human sludge on our agricultural lands, forests, and grasslands. In Sweden sewage sludge produced in the cities is kept in the city; the sewage treatment plants extract fuel for running vehicles and city buses and modern technology (gasification) is used to produce energy from the sludge for heating city buildings. Christy Clark and Mary Polak made the choice not to use modern technology; instead they created a “biosolids” industry and legislation making it illegal for rural areas to say no to the importation and “spreading” of thousands of tonnes of sludge. After they have occupied her office or rode horses, ran, marched, or walked to Victoria, Christy Clark has continued to have Mary Polak, Minister of Environment tell the Nicola Valley Chiefs that “land application” is the method that will be used. People who are not First Nations really don’t expect any consultation from this government anymore but, it will be interesting when Christy Clark has to repeat that sludge mantra to the citizens of this province. We will see how well it goes over.
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Rather like getting the Tobacco industry to investigate the safety of its own product ….these arms of the BC government have already shown they approve of biosolids for land applction …this will be rubberstamping only. Why not get really independent scientists to do the overview ….like the ones from Cornell University who have clearly demonstrated the dangers, and are at arms length from the industry!!
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Don Vincent – Think you just answered your own question. They have to deal with people they can control.
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