...And Stephen Hume Is Not In It.
Mr. Hume's lede, in today's VSun, says it all:
Environment Minister Mary Polak says I was reckless to compare her government’s secrecy about tainted drinking water in the Interior with public health disasters at Walkerton, Ont., and Flint, Mich.
No, what’s reckless is government secrecy. Particularly in response to public concern over the possible health consequences of spreading millions of litres of liquid manure on an aquifer from which hundreds of people at Spallumcheen obtain drinking water.
That water is unsafe for babies, seniors and people with compromised immune systems. The government’s health officers say so. It’s contaminated with nitrates, often associated with agricultural run-off. Testing shows nitrates in the aquifer trending steadily upward.
Here’s what Polak said:
“The essential information is getting to the right people to make informed decisions about water quality, so people’s health is not put at risk.”
First, if tap water’s not safe for at-risk populations to drink — infants, the elderly, the sick — then by definition some people’s health is already at risk.
Second, who are these “right people?” Not, apparently, citizens with unsafe tap water...
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There is a Club?....You bet there is.
Now...Can you just imagine if every Lotuslandian proMedia member went after demonstrable malfeasance by the Clarklandians the way that Mr. Hume does?
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6 comments:
encore encore
like a hurricane of fresh air
Anon-Above--
Agree absolutely.
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and then read VP's stenography from a recent BC Liberal fundraiser
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn+palmer+christy+clark+feels+wind+back/11711303/story.html
More information as to where, and who:
Steele Springs Waterworks District
...... In 2007 new dairy buildings were constructed one kilometre from our source and in 2008 a 1,000 cow dairy operation (moved from the Fraser Valley) was begun. The waste handling system is that of a flush barn, manure separation (into solid and liquid portions) and lagoons to hold the liquid portion. The liquid portion is then spread onto nearby crop fields via a pump system, sometimes using a hose reel gun but mostly a tractor with umbilical system.
In April 2009 a letter was sent to the three Jansen brothers (manager/owners of the farm) by the Trustees of Steele Springs ..........
http://blogs.ubc.ca/ubcowatershed/files/2014/06/SSWD-2014-05-Steele-Springs-Nitrate-Story.pdf
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Castanet:
H.S. Jansen and Sons,
2014 A year without water
http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/132382/A-year-without-tap-water
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http://www.krone-northamerica.com/english/products/testimonials/rotary-rakes/sw-2000-hs-jansen-sons-farm/
Owners of a Swadro 2000
HS Jansen & Sons Farm is truly a family operation. The 1,200 acre dairy farm, which milks 850 cows, is located in Spallumcheen, British Columbia, 1 ½ hours north of Kelowna, BC in the heart of Okanagan farm country. Brothers Dale, Andrew and Harold share the responsibility of operating the farm, the third generation of their family to do so. snip
Walkerton
Anon-A-Few-Above--
That sure is some fine stenography from Mr. P. It's almost as if he has become an ahistorical 'A' student (think Art Garfunkel).
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NVG--
Thanks for the backstory.
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Anon-Above--
Ya.
That is one of the places Mr. Hume went in an earlier piece when he wrote the following:
"...Despite some differences in magnitude, there’s a disturbing similarity here to events at Walkerton, Ont., 15 years ago, where groundwater was polluted by farm run-off into a water well known by authorities to be vulnerable to contamination.
At Walkerton, authorities insisted there was no reason for concern despite knowing that test results showed evidence of contamination. Eventually, thousands fell ill. Seven died..."
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