PSA: Halifax still stands with water protectors!
It’s auction time again! Due to Covid, this year’s auction will be online. We’re going to follow the lead of the 1492 Land Back Auction and use facebook as a platform.
Shubenacadie River
Consider an approach that doesn’t require the dumping of brine into the Shubenacadie River, feds told Alton Gas in 2017
Alton Gas likes to brag about the soundness of its plans and its willingness to share information with stakeholders. However, if it weren’t for Rachael Greenland-Smith and Dale Poulette, two stubborn citizen-researchers, we would never have seen evidence that the federal department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) point blank refused to approve the project as it is currently proposed.
Water Protectors ask allies to tell the province to face reality and suspend Alton Gas industrial approval
Tireless water protectors Rachael Greenland-Smith and Dale Poulette are calling on the Nova Scotia Department of Environment to suspend the Alton Gas Industrial Approval, effectively halting the proposed dumping of large quantities of brine in the river. They hope allies will join them in that call.
News brief: NS Federation of Labour donates $5,000 to Alton Gas water protectors
The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL) is donating $5,000 in support of the Alton Gas water protectors. The donated money will be used to deal with legal costs associated with a court case asserting treaty rights.
Dale Andrew Poulette and Rachael Greenland-Smith: The fight to save the Shubenacadie River
Alton Gas water protectors Dale Poulette and Rachael Greenland-Smith did an amazing job filing Freedom of Information requests and identifying numerous serious flaws in the Alton Gas approval processes. Now they have compiled all that info into a report. Read a summary and download the report here.
Kill the regs to save the fish (video)
Last week Mi’kmaw Water Protectors traveled to Antigonish to confront politicians attending the annual meeting of the provincial Liberals about federal efforts to accommodate the Alton Gas Project. Sadie Beaton explains what is going on. Video by Eliza Knockwood included
Media Release: Mi’kmaq and concerned Nova Scotian groups caravan to greet Trudeau at NS Liberal AGM
The Mi’kmaq and allies will converge to St. FX, joining Extinction rebellion, demanding Prime Minister Trudeau withdraw plans to provide “Industry ordered Regulations” on allowing a regulatory exemption to Alton Gas to kill Fish.
Feds rushing tailor–made Alton Gas regulations while not allowing for sufficient public scrutiny, environmentalists say
“When we checked around, we noticed that even for more minor regulatory changes the department offers longer comment periods. They also offer discussion documents and information sessions before a notice is posted in the Gazette,” says Sadie Beaton, Community Conservation Research Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre.
Alton Gas: it ain’t over til it’s over
With the recent injunction, the forcible removal of the grandmothers from the river site, altogether the total disregard for Treaty rights, and yesterday the mean-spirited destruction of the straw-bale house, it may look as if the water protectors are fighting a losing battle. However, looks are deceiving, and Alton Gas has its own share of problems.
Media release: Alton Gas brine release six times above what is considered deleterious to fish
Media release: In recently released documents accessed through Access to Information and Freedom of Information legislation, Water Protectors have learned that Alton Gas’ current plan to release high concentration brine into the Sipekne’katik/ Shubenacadie River would be out of compliance with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC’s) general prohibition on the release of deleterious substances into waterways where fish frequent. Also attached the documents the news release refers to. Stay tuned for more on this.