Thursday, December 30, 2010

TRANSPORTATION: Nova Scotia decides the Yarmouth to Bar Harbor ferry not feasible.

Commission: Current Bar Harbor ferry proposal not feasible
By Ezra Silk | Dec 29, 2010
Bar Harbour Times Soup

Yarmouth, NS — After more than two months spent examining five proposals for providing ferry service between Nova Scotia and New England, the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission has concluded that none of the proposals are financially viable. The Commission, which confirmed that it was considering a route to Bar Harbor, hopes to support a Yarmouth to New England ferry by May 2012, according to a press release distributed late Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point in time it is the Commission’s opinion that the proposals received do not meet the basic requirement of our RFP [request for proposal] process,” reads the press release.

According to the release, the Commission’s basic requirement is, “Clear confirmation of financial capacity to operate a ferry service.”

The CAT ferry service in Bar Harbor ended in December 2009, putting 120 people out of full and part-time work. According to Bay Ferries Limited, the company that operated the CAT, the route had lost its financial viability because of the struggles of the American economy, the rise of the Canadian dollar, and new U.S. passport regulations.

In the statement, the Commission acknowledged that the announcement might be disappointing to the applicants, as well as others who would welcome ferry service to their community.

“While the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission shares the frustrations and disappointment of businesses and residents of Nova Scotia, New England and particularly Yarmouth County, we feel that we also have a responsibility to ensure that any service provider is financially capable of starting a new service and sustaining that service into the future,” reads the release.

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Media Credit: wikipedia.com

Monday, December 27, 2010

AQUACULTURE - Is the book 'The Salmon Connection" available?

Dr. John M. Anderson's book, The Salmon Connection is the definitive source of information on the history of Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the Bay of Fundy and northern Gulf of Maine. Anyone know who is selling it?
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#aquaculture

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Little border protection from Canadian Coastguard .. but huge development planned for Saint John?

While the US Coast Guard patrols our water, photographs our people, and overhauls boats in our waters, there is still little or no Canadian Coast Guard border protection in Charlotte County. I know we have an agreement of some sort going, but abrogating control of Canadian waters on the border is unwise in the extreme. As for the ability of the RCMP to perform these duties ... well they seem to think that boils down to "highway patrol" on the water.


Congratulations to Saint John, this is the perfect place for headquarters, but an "active" presence on the border is required.




The city is preparing for a final deal which will see Ottawa sell the Coast Guard site on Water Street to clear the way for more waterfront development. Just over 900-thousand dollars have been earmarked in next year's proposed capital budget for the purchase and to begin survey work and environmental assessments.

The five year capital budget projection also includes 2.8-million for repairs to the sea wall on the harbour side - and - another 400-thousand for a pedway from Market Square to the site.

The Hardman Group wants to develop more retail space - a hotel - and - condos in that area.



Turbine pulled out of Bay of Fundy

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 4:20 PM AT CBC News

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by OpenHydro.

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by OpenHydro. (Nova Scotia Power)

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by Irish tidal renewable energy company OpenHydro.

The 400 tonne turbine was removed from the floor of the Minas Channel.

"The turbine is in extremely good condition," said James Ives, OpenHydro's CEO. "All the blades have failed. We have overloaded the turbine. We've underestimated the loadings in the Bay of Fundy. We underestimated the energy in the Bay of Fundy."

OpenHyrdo and Nova Scotia Power first tried to remove it in November.

That attempt was unsuccessful due to a rise in tides. Subsequent efforts to retrive it were hampered by bad weather, including strong winds.

The turbine was deployed in November 2009.

The turbine will now be towed to Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth for a forensic engineering assessment.

They will try to extract information on six sensor systems.

Then it will be decided if another attempt to put a turbine in the Minas Channel will happen and if it will be the refitted turbine or a new one.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/12/17/ns-turbine-pulled-out-of-bay-of-fundy.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TgNSYVf

Irving dam criticized after N.B. flooding

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 9:32 AM AT CBC News

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said many St. George residents are upset over J.D. Irving's handling of the water levels of its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said many St. George residents are upset over J.D. Irving's handling of the water levels of its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam. (CBC)

Some flood victims in St. George, N.B., are questioning whether the disaster could have been prevented if J.D. Irving had released water from its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam before the worst of this week's storm.

Residents in the southwestern New Brunswick community say they believe the company left water levels too high at the dam.

Citizens formed a local committee to examine the high water levels several years ago.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said corporate officials with J.D. Irving actively participated in those meetings. But Doucet said not much has came from those meetings.

"We've worked with Irving, they've been at the table, we've had some great discussions, [the Irvings are] telling us what they're going to do, but it's not happening," Doucet said.

"I think people have had it now, and people are going to want some action on this."

The company operates the southwestern New Brunswick dam to generate electricity for its mill.

A spokesperson for J.D. Irving told CBC News on Thursday that it manages the dam according to the weather and water level information it was given earlier this week.

'As a result, when we do get something like this [rain storm], we're behind the 8-ball before we even start.'— Bruce Jackson, St. George resident

The company's spokesperson said they were caught off guard when the storm exceeded all expectations.

Officials with the province's Emergency Measures Organization said this week that they have never seen water levels rise so quickly in the community.

The community's concerns with the high water levels did not just start this week when the area was hit by flash flooding.

Even in normal weather conditions, Bruce Jackson, who lives in the community, said the water levels at the dam are a concern.

"What has consistently been the concern is that the water has left at an artificially high level — by [one-], two-, three-feet high — to generate [electricity]," Jackson said.

"As a result, when we do get something like this [rain storm], we're behind the 8-ball before we even start."

Environment Canada said 172 mm fell in St. Stephen earlier this week.

Southwestern New Brunswick was among the regions hardest hit by this week's floods.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/17/nb-jd-irving-lake-utopia-st-george-flood-628.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TfAXqa7

CLIMATE: N.B. flood damage 'beyond imagination': Alward

Number of flooded N.B. roads down to 70 from 120 earlier this week

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 10:02 PM AT Comments115Recommend66
CBC News
Charlotte County has been one of the New Brunswick areas hardest hit by flooding.
Charlotte County has been one of the New Brunswick areas hardest hit by flooding. (CBC)
The damage left behind by this week's flood that hit parts of southwestern New Brunswick is "beyond imagination," Premier David Alward said on Friday.
Many communities along stretches of southern and western New Brunswick saw extensive damage to roads, bridges and houses following the floods, with Charlotte County the hardest-hit place in the province, according to the Emergency Measures Organization.
The destruction inflicted on many of the communities is "sad," Alward said.
"It is really beyond imagination especially in parts of southwestern New Brunswick and Charlotte County. Many homes covered up to their rooftops, vehicles under water, many people displaced," Alward said.
"Throughout much of the St. John River Valley and southwestern New Brunswick and Charlotte County, many roads and the rail system has been breached."
At one point during the flood, 120 roads were partially or fully flooded, but that is now down to 70.
Bonny River flooded
All roads and bridges leading into the southwestern community of Bonny River, which is near St. Stephen, were either washed out or underwater.
The Canadian Red Cross set up shelter at the Bonny River Fire Department to help residents who lost their homes in the flood.
The main commute to and from Bonny River in recent days has been by boat, such as those operated by Cooke Aquaculture, which has been helping by ferrying people and supplies.
Many roads were fully hidden by water except for the tops of stop signs, while the local landscape was filled with broken porches and waterlogged houses.
'I love my spot on the river but as I've always said, to have the best spot,
there are prices to pay, but I think this price is too high.'— Angela Steen, Bonny River resident
Nicole Norman, who lives in nearby Second Falls, said she finally got a chance to assess the damage to her home on Thursday, and saw the inside was a disaster.
"I saved some of my daughter's Christmas gifts, that's about it. Everything else is ruined," Norman said.
Angela Steen, another Bonny River resident, said she fared a little better.
Her basement is completely flooded but she managed to save some items.
Steen said after what happened during the flood, she can't imagine living in her home much longer.
"I love my spot on the river but as I've always said, to have the best spot, there are prices to pay, but I think this price is too high," said Steen.
Steen said she is relieved the water has finally crested, but she said it will be a long time before things are fully back to normal in her community.
Relief offered
Alward toured the area Wednesday after announcing the government would extend various forms of relief to people affected by the rising waters.
The plan outlined by Alward includes complimentary reconnection of electrical services and free water testing.
Gary MacDonald wades through a flooded parking lot to get to his vehicle near the St. John River on Tuesday in Fredericton. G
ary MacDonald wades through a flooded parking lot to get to his vehicle near the St. John River on Tuesday in Fredericton.(David Smith/Canadian Press)
The premier said the government will also help with health and safety inspections and that citizens can register for funding through the disaster financial assistance program by contacting Service New Brunswick.
Alward said the government is offering residents $4,000, which will help people start taking care of their immediate needs.
Federal cabinet minister Keith Ashfield said the government is willing to help the provincial government fund efforts to rebuild after the flood.
Alward and Transportation Minister Claude Williams have estimated that millions of dollars worth of repairs need to be done to infrastructure across the province because of the floods.
A complicating factor is some road work will have to wait until the spring because the full repairs cannot be completed during the cold and snow of winter.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/17/nb-flood-waters-receding-in-southwestern-nb.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TcD2neQ

Monday, December 13, 2010

AQUACULTURE: Study shows sea lice not to blame for collapse of BC salmon populations

Male and female Lepeophtheirus salmonisImage via Wikipedia

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Public release date: 13-Dec-2010

Contact: Sylvia Wright
swright@ucdavis.edu
530-752-7702
University of California - Davis

UC Davis study: Wild salmon decline was not caused by sea lice from farm salmon
Study is first to combine 10 years of farms' sea-lice counts and 60 years of wild fish counts

A new UC Davis study contradicts earlier reports that salmon farms were responsible for the 2002 population crash of wild pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago of western Canada.

The Broughton crash has become a rallying event for people concerned about the potential environmental effects of open-net salmon farming, which has become a $10 billion industry worldwide, producing nearly 1.5 million tons of fish annually.

The new study, to be published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, does not determine what caused the crash, but it acquits the prime suspect: small skin parasites called sea lice.

The study's lead author is Gary Marty, a veterinary pathologist and research associate at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. An expert in fish diseases, Marty has been studying the health of pink salmon since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

"For anybody concerned about the effect of farm salmon on wild salmon, this is good news," Marty said. "Sea lice from fish farms have no significant effect on wild salmon population productivity."

The new study is the first to analyze 20 years of fish production data and 10 years of sea-lice counts from every salmon farm in the Broughton Archipelago and compare them against 60 years of population counts of adult pink salmon.

The study concludes that farm fish are indeed the main source of sea lice on the area's juvenile wild pink salmon, but it found no statistical correlation between lice levels on the farms and the lifetime survival of wild pink salmon populations.

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are the most abundant wild salmon species in the Broughton Archipelago. When they are a few months old, juvenile pink salmon leave the streams where they were born. They mature at sea, then return to their native streams to spawn and die two years after their parents.

Because of their two-year lifespans, the pink salmon born in odd-numbered years are genetically different from those born in even-numbered years. In the 60-year record, both lines of pink salmon have had tremendous, unexplained population swings, even before fish farms were established in the late 1980s.

Sea lice are natural parasites of adult pink salmon. The adult louse, about the size of a small watermelon seed, attaches itself to a fish's skin and feeds on its host. Minor lice infestations are not harmful to pink salmon, but a severe infestation can weaken or kill the smallest fish (those about the size of a paperclip). On fish farms, veterinarians treat the fish with medicated feed when lice populations become too high.

The Broughton fish farms raise Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in net-sided pens in the water. Wild pink salmon are separated from the farm fish only by the mesh of the net enclosures. Lice freely pass from wild fish to farm fish, and vice-versa.

Record high numbers of wild pink salmon returned to spawn in rivers of the Broughton Archipelago in 2000 and 2001, but only 3 percent of that number returned in 2002, and only 12 percent in 2003.

Also, in 2001, the first examination of Broughton juvenile pink salmon found that more than 90 percent had lice. In the next two years, when the salmon numbers plummeted, the hypothesis arose that sea lice from fish farms were to blame.

Calls went up for the farms to move the fish from open-net pens to closed containers. And government regulators ordered farmers to use stricter anti-lice treatments.

In the new study, Marty and his colleagues were able to see, year by year, how many lice were on the farms when the young pink salmon went to sea, and how many of those salmon returned to spawn. The results were surprising.

"The salmon that returned in such low numbers in 2002 were exposed as juveniles to fewer sea lice than were the salmon that returned in record high numbers in 2001," Marty said. "Sea lice from farm fish could not have caused the 2002 wild salmon population crash."

Marty's co-authors are Sonja Saksida, director of the British Columbia Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences in Campbell River, and Terrance Quinn, professor of fish population dynamics at the Juneau Center of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Quinn is a world authority on mathematical modeling of fish populations. Saksida is a veterinarian and the first researcher given access to confidential records from all the Broughton aquaculture companies.

Marty is also the fish pathologist for the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and an affiliate faculty member of the University of Alaska School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

Marty said that even though the trio used much of the same fish and lice data used in previous studies, they reached a different conclusion for two reasons: First, the fish farmers gave Saksida their records, and second, the old and new data were analyzed using methods common in veterinary medical science that were not used in many of the previous studies.

"The major lesson of this study is that we cannot settle for simple explanations for wild-animal population declines. There are very complex interactions among disease, environment and animal population health. Sustainability studies must engage all the science specialties to pursue a better understanding of these relationships," Marty said.

###

None of the authors received compensation from any source for this analysis. Quinn has never worked for any fish farm company. Marty has never worked for any fish farm company in Canada; in the United States, he consulted for the industry in 2000 and 2001. Since 2004, Marty has analyzed fish-farm samples for the British Columbia provincial government, which is paid a fee for those services by the farm companies. Saksida, as part of her private veterinary practice over the past 15 years, has done contract work for all three fish farm companies that operate in the study area.

About UC Davis

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 32,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget that exceeds $679 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

BUSINESS: Calais LNG reaches another "Tipping Point"

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Cursed by their own rush to push through applications with the Maine Board of Environmental Protection and the FERC, Calais LNG LLC has lost their principal investor Goldman Sachs and the option on the land at Devil's Head where their terminal was to be built. While deadlines have been extended numerous times to accommodate this well-connected company, new deadlines set by both agencies may finally determine the future of this proposed development.

It seems likely that Calais LNG is in a state of chaos since reporters seem unable to make contact with key staff, their website still shows Goldman Sachs as their principal investor and the last update on their home page was January 27, 2010. As one wise investor said, "When the lawns are untended ... beware."

If you are interested in the history up to now, this is available at www.savepassamaquoddybay.org or follow the links below.

Art
*********************************
Calendar > 2010 December
Dec 13 — FERC deadline for Calais LNG to provide a schedule for re-establishing TRI and financial capacity.

Documents > Environment & NEPA-related > Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) > LNG proposal — Calais LNG > Letters > 2010 December
Dec 2
Calais LNG to BEP, admitting the applicant's lack of TRI and financial capacity
Dec 3
Maine State Chamber of Commerce comments on Calais LNG delay
Roosevelt Campobello International Park comments on Calais LNG delay

Maine LNG Terminal Development Failure History> 2005–2010 > City of Calais > Location: Calais Village of Red Beach > Developer: Calais LNG Project Co. > Anti-LNG Organizations: Save Passamaquoddy Bay 3-Nation Alliance > Results
2010 Aug 31 — Calais LNG failed to renew its option to purchase the land required for its proposed terminal by this deadline, losing title, right, or interest (TRI) required for Maine and FERC permitting;however, at the Sep 15 Board of Environmental Protection meeting regarding the project, the company failed to inform the BEP of this lapse.
2010 Nov 17 — Owners of the land required for Calais LNG's terminal notified the BEP that Calais LNG had not renewed its option to purchase upon expiring on Aug 31; meaning, Calais LNG no longer holds the required TRI for state permitting.
2010 Nov 23 — Calais LNG wrote to the BEP that if the BEP were to recommence the permitting process, the applications would be appropriately and summarily dismissed, due to lack of financial capacity and TRI.
2010 Dec 3— FERC wrote to Calais LNG, indicating FERC's awareness of Calais LNG's lack of financial capacity and TRI. FERC demanded Calais LNG provide a schedule by Dec 13 to when the company would secure TRI and financial capacity.

BEP Hearing Schedules > Calais LNG project BEP Hearing Schedule > 2010 July 19–23


[Historical information added]
2010 Jul 13 — Calais LNG notified the BEP that the company's state permits were incomplete,requesting delay of the permit hearings.
2010 Jul 14 — The BEP granted Calais LNG's request to delay the hearings.
2010 Jul 21 — Calais LNG indicated it had lost its financial partner, GS Power Holdings, a subsidy of Goldman Sachs.
2010 Aug 31 — Calais LNG failed to renew its option to purchase the land required for its proposed terminal, losing Title, Right, or Interest (TRI) in the land. TRI is required for Maine (and FERC) permitting.
2010 Nov 17 — Owners of the land required for Calais LNG's terminal notified the Maine Board of Environmental Protection that Calais LNG had not renewed its option to purchase upon expiring on 2010 Aug 31; meaning, Calais LNG no longer holds the required TRI for state permitting.

FERC > FERC LNG Project Review Process > eLibrary Dockets > eLibrary Docket Comment Submissions >Formal Filing Docket Comment Submissions > Calais LNG — CP10-31 & CP10-32 > 2010 > December

> Dec 3
Filed By: Save Passamaquoddy Bay — Requesting FERC dismiss Calais LNG's permits for failing to have the requred TRI and financial capacity. Issued By: FERC OFFICE OF ENERGY PROJECTS — Demanding that by Dec 13, Calais LNG provide a schedule for re-establishing TRI and financial capacity.

LNG Developers > Developer #3: "Calais LNG Project Company LLC"
> Aliases
Updated North East Energy Development (NEED)
> Partners in Calais LNG Project Co. and/or North East Energy Development LLC
Updated partnership information

News Stories & Editorial > Dec 4 [For faster page loading, go to our Latest News page.]
US Natural Gas Production Foils LNG Imports
LNG exports from US a real possibility; hurdles remain (Dec 5)


Media Credit: wikipedia.com

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

AQUACULTURE: Salmon farmers temporarily allowed use of pesticide

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Fishermen complain that deltamethrin not only kills sea lice, but lobsters and other crustaceans. (Photo: Alexandra Morton)
CANADA 
Monday, October 25, 2010, 02:00 (GMT + 9)

New Brunswick (NB) has obtained permission from Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency for fishers to use a restricted pesticide against sea lice in Atlantic salmon farms as an emergency use between 15 October and 31 December 2010.

The main chemical ingredient of the pesticide Alphamax is deltamethrin, which some worry will kill lobsters and other crustaceans in addition to the sea lice. Lobster fishers were therefore dismayed by Health Canada’s decision.

The farmed salmon industry intends to begin the use of Alphamax in the Bay of Fundy this week on farmed fish infested by sea lice.

Health Canada said Alphamax treatments can be used only on tarped cages or contained areas also known as well boats. The salmon is placed in the boats before being bathed in a concentration of Alphamax and then transferred back to the cages with the bath water.

The industry ideally wishes to be allowed to apply a rotation of pesticides so the sea lice do not get a chance to become tolerant to any of the particular chemicals, said Nell Halse of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, reports CBC News.





"That whole process, from our farmers' point of view, takes too long," she explained. "We needed these treatments, a whole suite of them, in the spring when sea lice first started showing up on our farms.”

"If we'd had three to four different treatments that we could rotate around to deal with the different stages of sea lice, we would've been in good shape last spring," she added.

But the industry has been having a difficult time trying to contain an especially burdensome sea lice infestation due to the high ocean temperatures in the summer. Health Canada’s approval of the use of Alphamax in the farms followed an extended risk assessment, Halse told.

Meanwhile, the Traditional Fisheries Coalition made a verbal request to the federal organisation to suspend the use of chemicals in the Bay of Fundy, reports The Telegraph-Journal.

"All treatments need to stop given that the lobster are at a very critical point and that the juveniles in the water are everywhere ... this isn't acceptable," said Melanie Sonnenberg, project manager of the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association, which belongs to the Coalition.

Further, Matthew Abbott, a member of the Fundy Baykeeper Project, believes the industry is to blame for its sea lice troubles because they are linked to the long-term use of pesticides in the farms. Consequently, implementing more chemicals is counterproductive.

"I think it goes to show that the problem isn't being solved," he said. "Instead of funding sustainable practices that don't lead to these massive sea lice outbreaks, they just keep adding new chemicals."

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

AQUACULTURE: Fish farms ask for another study on pesticide

Lobster TrapImage via WikipediaLast Updated: Friday, October 29, 2010 | 12:21 PM AT Comments26Recommend11
CBC News

Lobsters were found dead after being exposed to a pesticide that is being used to battle sea lice in fish farms. (CBC)

The Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association is asking Environment Canada to launch a second study on lobster exposure to deltamethrin in the Bay of Fundy.

The chemical is the active ingredient in the pesticide Alphamax, which had been approved for use for a limited time on fish farms in New Brunswick.

Earlier this week the federal department shut down use of the pesticide in open fish farm cages after some lobsters died on the first day of a trial.

Environment Canada officials carried out their own study in which they released lobsters in a tarped cage undergoing pesticide treatment, then towed the lobsters through the water as the pesticide dissipated.

Some lobsters died in the trial, and as a result the federal department halted the use of Alphamax treatments in open water.

Pamela Parker, the executive director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, said the test scenario they put the lobsters through isn't realistic.

"I was frankly shocked that they put lobster directly in the net pen, and not surprised they died," Parker said.

As well, Parker said, the lobsters weren't properly assessed for their health.

This development comes just days after groups from new Brunswick and Nova Scotia came together to form the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform.

While the pesticide can no longer be used in the salmon cages, Environment Canada is still allowing Alphamax treatments of farmed fish to be done in contained areas called well boats.

Scientists with the provincial government have also been monitoring the tests and the use of the pesticide.

Matthew Abbott, a spokesman for the Fundy Baykeeper, an environmental organization, said he's concerned about the effects on smaller lobsters, considering the result of the testing.

"If large adult lobster are killed by this, one can imagine what it can do to lobster larvae," Abbott said.

The fish farmers association wants Environment Canada to try the experiment again by placing lobsters in a more realistic scenario, underneath and around the cages during treatment.

There's no word on whether the federal department might grant that request.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/10/29/nb-alphamax-pesticide-aquaculture-1024.html#socialcomments-submit#ixzz149cQc121

ENVIRONMENT:Bay of Fundy's Grindstone Island becomes Nature Preserve

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Grindstone Island now a nature preserve

Published Saturday October 30th, 2010

BY YVON GAUVIN
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

A historic partnership between Nature Trust of New Brunswick, the Parish of Sackville and the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton has ensured the preservation of Grindstone Island, the only island in the upper Bay of Fundy and a bird sanctuary, for generations to come.

The creation of the Grindstone Island Nature Preserve will be announced officially today at the Cape Enrage Nature Preserve during the annual meeting of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.

The 50-acre island that once served as an important stone quarry for building projects as far away as Moncton and acts as site of an important lighthouse station is also recognized as ecologically unique. The island is recognized internationally as a component of the Shepody Bay Important Bird Area, the Shepody Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and the Shepody Wetland of International Significance.

It serves a nesting area for the peregrine falcon population that has been restored to the Bay of Fundy and home to the largest great blue heron colony in the province of New Brunswick as well as a small colony of nesting eider ducks, breeding herring gull, great black backed gull and double-crested cormorant, said wildlife biologist Colin MacKinnon.

The partnership comes after years of negotiation and discussion to conclude with a conservation easement agreement with the Nature Trust that requires development of a management plan to monitor the fragile environment and set limits on activities on the island.

A portion of the island is already protected by Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service and the adjacent Shepody National Wildlife Area.The Parish of Sackville retains ownership of the island.

"From the beginning of our negotiations with the Nature Trust, the Parish of Sackville was motivated by the concept of stewardship. The Parish took the view that stewardship takes many forms and that we are called to be active in environmental preservation as well as the pastoral, social justice and spiritual work with which the Church is more frequently associated," said Reverend Canon Kevin Stockall.

Monday, November 1, 2010

ENERGY: Sackville not shutting door on oil and gas

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Detail of Tower for drilling horizontally into...Image via WikipediaBy Katie Tower, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Sackville Tribune, October 29, 2010

[SACKVILLE, NS] — Sackville may have denied a gas exploration company the rights to drill on municipal-owned land but that doesn’t mean town officials are willing to close the door on other opportunities that could come their way if the industry is successful in other parts of the region.

Councillor Merrill Fullerton said the town needs to be ready to take advantage of the benefits of an oil and gas exploration sector that is about to emerge strong in the province.

Responding to residents’ concerns over comments made last month by Sackville’s director of economic development, who commented that the town needs to position itself for oil and gas industry development, Fullerton said the municipality has no intention of targeting the sector itself but should be open to other possibilities.

“There’s certainly no one on this council who is advocating for drilling or processing,” he said. “But what we do need to understand, as a community, is the economic spin-offs that could come from this. We’re not going to bury our heads in the sand.”

Although Petroworth Resources Inc., a Toronto-based exploration company, officially confirmed this month that they will not test for natural gas deposits on town-owned land, Fullerton said the company has obtained 159 permits to conduct seismic testing in areas surrounding the community.

He pointed out that there could be plenty of benefits for local firms and contractors, who could provide all types of services and maintenance work, if natural gas is found in Tantramar.

“We can sit back and pretend that we want nothing to do with the industry but I think we’d be doing a great disservice if we did.”

Fullerton noted that the oil and gas industry is a sector that could create employment and increase the tax base in the municipality and shouldn’t be overlooked as an economic development opportunity.

“This supply chain is quite large and we need to understand the opportunities that come with that.”

Councillor Virgil Hammock agreed with Fullerton, noting that councillors are certainly concerned over the drilling process used to mine for natural gas, but they need to be open-minded if they want to benefit from any potential finds.

“I do have problems with the industry and the fracking that’s going to happen outside our community,” he said. “But we can’t completely close our minds to what’s going on around us.”

Sunday, October 31, 2010

ENVIRONMENT: Upper Fundy land returned to saltmarsh

Anyone living in upper Bay of Fundy is quite aware that large tracts of our coastal land are currently protected from tidal inundation by dykes. The original dykes were built by Acadian settlers over 350 years ago to convert salt water marshes to farm land.

Although these converted salt water marshes or "dykelands" remain some of the region's most fertile agricultural land, much of it today is underutilized: 15% of dykeland in Nova Scotia and 41% of dykeland in New Brunswick is no longer being farmed. 

It's estimated that 85% of the saltmarshes in the Bay of Fundy were lost due to dyking. With the pressures of climate change and rising sea levels, there certainly appears to be case to be made returning some of these unused dykelands to the Bay as salt marshes.

Ducks Unlimited launched an interesting project this week in upper Bay of Fundy: it intentionally returned 16 hectares of farmland to saltmarsh and will closely monitor how the restored saltmarsh can act as a buffer to rising sea levels and storm surges. It's also expected that salt marshes may ease the pressure on remaining dykes. 'Twill be interesting to watch...

From http://bayoffundy.blogspot.com/2010/10/upper-fundy-land-restored-to-saltmarsh.html

Friday, October 22, 2010

ENERGY: Sierra Club targets export of nuclear waste.

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 SCC awaits decision on Bruce Power’s plan to ship 1600 tonnes of nuclear waste across the Great Lakes to Sweden
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) held two days of public hearings in Ottawa September 28- 29th, 2010 to discuss Bruce Power’s proposal to move 16 used steam generators to Studsvik, Sweden where they would be disassembled, melted down and recycled. Leftover waste would be shipped back to Canada.

Interveners representing concerned environmental and community groups joined Sierra Club Canada’s Executive Director, John Bennett, in asking the CNSC to adjourn the hearing to allow time to prepare a proper study on the potential environmental impacts that such an undertaking would entail.

Bruce Power’s proposal represents “a major deviation from the approved plan” set out in their 2005 Environmental Assessment. As such, John argued before the panel that Bruce Power’s current proposal “should require revisiting the environmental assessment.”

For more information: http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/blog/john-bennett/blue-box-nukes


Thursday, October 14, 2010

ON STAGE: Terry Gillespie Tonight in St. Andrews. More Tommorrow!

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TONIGHT !!!
 
TOMORROW
Something a Little Different
LOVESTORM
at the Sunbury Shores Gallery  8pm  $10
Lovestorm Is
Tim Isaac (Isaac and Blewett)
and
Nina Khosla (Great Balancing Act)

Friday, October 8, 2010

ENERGY: More problems at Lepreau - Fuel tube problems could delay N.B. nuclear plant

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Last Updated: Friday, October 8, 2010 | 7:03 PM AT
CBC News



Any further delay of the Point Lepreau refurbishment could jeopardize a campaign promise to freeze power rates made by the incoming Progressive Conservative government. (CBC)

NB Power has announced that Atomic Energy of Canada Limited will have to start over with one of the most important parts of the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear plant.

The federal Crown corporation is going to remove all 380 calandria tubes to reinstall and reseal them, which could further delay the completion of the project, already more than a year behind schedule.

It has been estimated that NB Power will have to pay $1 million a day to purchase replacement power while the reactor is not in service.

"Project staff are proceeding with the removal of all 380 calandria tubes," said an NB Power statement that was released at 5 p.m. AT Friday, as New Brunswickers prepared for the three-day Thanksgiving weekend.

"We do not have specific details from AECL on how it will impact the overall timeline of the project.

"In our continued efforts to be open and transparent with our employees and customers, we are releasing this information to you now as this is currently happening and will provide you with more detailed information as it becomes available later next week."

The calandria tubes are made to house smaller nuclear pressure tubes, which in turn contain radioactive nuclear fuel bundles.
Refurbishment originally scheduled for 2009 completion

They were the first major piece of equipment to be installed in the reactor as part of the much-delayed refurbishment of the 27-year-old generating station in southern New Brunswick.

The refurbishment, which began on March 28, 2008, is expected to extend the generating station's life by 25 to 30 years. It was supposed to be completed by September 2009.

Before Friday's announcement, the $1.4-billion refurbishment was already hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.

The most optimistic recent forecasts estimate the refurbishment will be completed by October 2011, and NB Power will need until February 2012 to get the power plant to begin generating electricity again.

The removal of the original calandria tubes took AECL one year.

With the delays, the incoming Progressive Conservative government will be in charge of a refurbishment deal they signed up for in 2005, when they were led by Bernard Lord.

The newest delay could be a problem for incoming leader David Alward, who takes power Oct. 12. He promised a three-year freeze on power rates, which was calculated on the assumption the reactor would be operational in February.

NB Power predicted in April that power rates would rise an extra three per cent next year because of the refurbishment cost overruns.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/10/08/nb-point-lepreau-refurbishment-delays.html?ref=rss#ixzz11oHWayFR




Pre-operational environmental monitoring report for the Point Lepreau, N.B., nuclear generating station - 1981 (Canadian technical report of hydrography and ocean sciences)

Thursday, October 7, 2010

CONSERVATION: Rockweed biologist receives national award

10/6/10 10:40 pm Updated: 10/6/10 10:42 pm
By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff

MACHIAS, Maine — Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley was driving Wednesday from New York to Pembroke despite still recovering from the flu. She said she needed to come to testify today before the state’s Regulatory Fairness Board in Calais regarding the impact of mechanical and hand harvesting on Maine’s rockweed — a coastal seaweed.

This dedication to environmental issues is why Seeley stands out in her field and was recently honored by the Audubon Society with a $10,000 national Together Green Fellowship.

The fellowship, one of 40 awarded across the country, will enable Seeley to continue her work to protect the rockweed intertidal habitat by working with students, the public and policymakers.

“Rockweed plays a fundamental role in Maine’s coastal and estuarine ecosystems, serving as habitat for more than 100 fish and invertebrate species, as well as shorebirds and ducks,” Seeley said Wednesday. “Unregulated, industrial-scale cutting of rockweed threatens the fishing potential, ecological health and natural beauty that are vital to Maine’s future.”

Seeley is an assistant director at the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine, which is operated by Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire.

The fellowship is supported by a conservation alliance between Audubon and Toyota. It offers specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. The fellowship stresses community-focused projects that engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy and contributing to greater environmental health.

Seeley is working to preserve intertidal habitat in Maine by protecting rockweed beds from industrial-scale cutting. For her project, Seeley will expand on the work of the Rockweed Coalition, an organization she co-founded, by working with local educators to design lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students on the value of seaweed habitat. She also plans to work with policymakers at the state level to promote the value of the intertidal habitat for Maine fisheries and wildlife.

Seeley has spent the last 10 years working on rockweed management, sharing scientific knowledge on the effects of rockweed cutting while also listening to local communities. She helped mobilize support for a Maine law that strictly manages the cutting of seaweed in Cobscook Bay by putting all federal, state and private conservation areas off-limits to commercial cutting.

“Robin is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” Audubon President David Yarnold said in a prepared statement. “Each of our Together Green Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us today and in the years to come.”

Seeley said the award comes at a key time for the Rockweed Coalition.

“Support from Together Green provides a great boost to our work informing policy-makers and the public about the unrecognized breadth of ecological services provided by rockweed in Maine,” she said.

Seeley, a Maine native, earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from Bowdoin College, a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Rhode Island and her doctorate in biology from Yale University. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Marine Science, University of Maine.

A complete list of the 2010 Together Green Fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org/fellows.


Ecology and management of Maine's eelgrass, rockweeds, and kelps: Executive summary

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

$7 million in federal port grants headed to Eastport, Portland

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http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/155499.html

10/5/10 11:53 pm Updated: 10/6/10 05:46 am
By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff

EASTPORT, Maine — A permitting problem that held up $7 million in federal funds for Maine’s ports at Eastport and Portland, was cleared this week and the funding should be released immediately, according to Maine’s congressional delegation.

The funds were part of a $14 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery — TIGER — grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that was awarded eight months ago to upgrade the infrastructure at three ports in Maine.

Another $7 million in the package for Searsport is still being withheld because of a “Buy American” requirement in the agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and Maine had been holding up the process since February. Searsport needs to buy a mobile harbor crane that is not produced in the U.S.

According to John Henshaw of the Maine Port Authority, all three projects were part of one grant request, and as such the funding for all three was held up.

But the USDOT announced this week that it will allow the projects at Eastport and Portland to proceed while Searsport seeks a waiver. Moving those projects ahead is critical, especially at Eastport, since the state has a short construction season. The Eastport project requires blasting and drilling, which now can be accomplished before winter sets in.

The three ports and their projects are:

ä $2 million will go to Eastport for a warehouse, conveyer equipment and storage pad.

ä $5 million to the International Marine Terminal in Portland for capacity and infrastructure improvements to improve access to the pier and cargo-handling capability.

ä $7 million to Searsport for investments in a heavy-lift mobile harbor crane and cargo-handling equipment. “These TIGER grants were designed to put people back to work,” U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe said in a prepared statement. “The last thing we want is government paperwork preventing critical infrastructure initiatives, like the ‘Revitalizing Maine’s Ports’ project, from moving forward and creating jobs. I am delighted we were able to find a way to cut through the red tape, so that Mainers may get back to work on such a vital project

TOURISM: UNESCO names N.B. home to new geopark

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | 6:35 AM AT
CBC News




UNESCO named Stonehammer Geopark, which includes Fundy National Park, the world's newest geopark at a conference in Greece. (CBC)UNESCO has named a large swath of land along the Bay of Fundy coastline as the world's latest geopark.

Stonehammer Geopark covers 2,500 square kilometres across southern New Brunswick and stretches from Lepreau Falls to Norton, Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield to St. Martins.

The United Nations Education, Scientific, Cultural Organization awarded Stonehammer Geopark the distinction of becoming North America's first geopark at a conference in Greece late Sunday.

The title comes just after construction workers at a nursing home project in Saint John found a 500-million-year-old rock formation called a hinge.

And scientists discovered 318-million-year-old reptile footprints in rock slabs near St. Martins in 2008.
'From a marketing perspective, as well as educational and preservation perspective, it just gives us that extra notch, that extra level we're able to work with now.'— Gail Bremner, Stonehammer Geopark

Gail Bremner, the executive director of Stonehammer Geopark, said the designation and the prestige it carries will help attract more tourists and bring some of them back.

"It provides new product. For example, for the cruise ship visitors that are coming, we get a lot of repeat visitors, so it gives them an opportunity to explore our region in a different perspective," Bremner said.

Geologists from Germany and Ireland visited southern New Brunswick in August to assess whether the area should be home to the continent's first geopark.

This is just another distinction for the region.

The Bay of Fundy is one of 28 finalists in a worldwide campaign by the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a group based in Switzerland. The online campaign is intended to increase knowledge and tourism to some of the world's great natural wonders.

Other entrants include the Amazon rainforest, South Africa's Table Mountain, Uluru in Australia (also known as Ayers Rock) and Mount Vesuvius in Italy.

EVENTS: October - Upcoming in Charlotte County, NB

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Thursday at Harry and Martha Bryan's
Mascarene Road near St. George
 
 
and
Next Thursday at The Arena Theatre
St. Andrews
 
 
 
Mark Your Calendar for
New Brunswick Emerging Artist Showcase
 
Wednesday Oct 27th
 
Owen Steel, Babette Hayward, Andy Brown, Lisa Leblanc
 
 

Monday, October 4, 2010

500 million year old rock stops construction and stirs online debate

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 Interesting article for sure. But the debate it stirred in the comments is even more interesting. Don't miss it!!


Art

****************************

Ancient rock formation uncovered in N.B.

Geologist estimates 4.5-metre rock formation is 500 million years old
Last Updated: Monday, October 4, 2010 | 8:52 AM AT
CBC News


Construction was stopped at a Saint John nursing home site after workers found a rock formation estimated to be 500 million years old. (CBC)

Saint John construction workers are altering a nursing home's renovation plans after discovering a rock formation that is estimated to be 500 million years old.

Construction crews had been excavating for the expansion to the Loch Lomond Villa Nursing Home since mid September.

A unique 4.5-metre rock formation was found jutting through the shale and that forced the workers to change their construction plans. Geologists are now debating over what could be done with the discovery.

Terry Moore, the facilities manager at the nursing home, said the ancient rock formation appears to resemble a tree.
'I knew right away it wasn't going to be a fossil tree because it's about 500 million years old. We know trees don't appear in the geological record until about 360 million years ago, so it's much too old to be a tree.'— Randy Miller, N.B. Museum

"It actually looks like the side of the tree, the formation of bark all along here … it's just so unique," Moore said.

Once the geological surprise was found, the nursing home staff called in experts from the New Brunswick Museum to investigate the rock formation.

Randy Miller, the provincial paleontologist at the New Brunswick Museum, said the age of the formation makes it impossible for the discovery to be a tree.

"I knew right away it wasn't going to be a fossil tree because it's about 500 million years old," Miller said.

"We know trees don't appear in the geological record until about 360 million years ago, so it's much too old to be a tree."

Miller said the log is actually a hinge, which happens when layers of rock are folded on top of each other when heated up deep within the earth.
Preserving the discovery

The provincial paleontologist said the hinge is worth preserving right where it is situated.

Miller said other examples of the rock formations have been unearthed around Saint John and he hopes this latest discovery can help the city's push toward geo-tourism.

"Some people think about the geo-park being fossils and that part of the story. But there are other really important parts of the story, about plate tectonics, how the big processes of geology work," Miller said.

"So all these little sites are kind of interesting because we use them for teaching.… It may be a place that you could take the public to, if it's accessible, and say, 'Look, how rocks are folded and this is how it happens.'"

While Miller and other experts decide how to accomplish that, construction crews at the Saint John nursing home have reworked their plans to avoid disturbing the rock any further.

The geological discovery at the nursing home comes about two weeks after highway construction was halted in southwestern New Brunswick after First Nations artifacts were found.

The discovery of what are believed to be First Nations artifacts happened in Charlotte County after torrential rains during post-tropical storm Earl in mid-September exposed the objects.

Read comments and more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/10/04/nb-fossil-nursing-home-saint-john-616.html?ref=rss#socialcomments#ixzz11PDtejfB

Friday, October 1, 2010

BOOKS: Mary Majka Book launch tomorrow

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From bayoffundy.blogspot.com - Thanks Terri!!

Bay of Fundy book launch tomorrow!

There's a very exciting event taking place tomorrow, October 2, in Albert County, New Brunswick: the launch of a biography of well-known Bay of Fundy naturalist, Mary Majka.

Mary is one of Canada’s great pioneering environmentalists. She is best known as a television host, a conservationist, and a driving force behind the internationally acclaimed Mary’s Point Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve on the Bay of Fundy.

Sanctuary (her authorized biography to be released this weekend) gives full expression to the intensely personal story of Mary’s life. A daughter of privilege, a survivor of World War II Poland, an architect of dreams, Mary Majka became passionately intent on protecting fragile spaces and species for generations to come.

In this amazing chronicle of determination and foresight, Deborah Carr reveals a complex, indomitable, thoroughly human being — flawed yet feisty, inspiring and inspired. With information gleaned from Mary’s own memories, present day scenes and passages of reportage, Sanctuary engages the reader in a shared remembering as Deborah weaves together the story of a young Polish girl named Marysia, who faced sorrow, loss and then war alone, and through this discovered a healing connection to nature. It is the story of how she evolved into the award-winning woman known as Mary Majka, who played a key role in preserving the natural and cultural heritage of New Brunswick and encouraged others to pursue their passion and make their own mark on the world.

But beneath all this, it is the story of finding sanctuary – of achieving that sacred place of acceptance and refuge, both in the world and within the soul.

The book launch for Sanctuary takes place Oct 2, from 2PM – 4PM at the Harvey Hall, 29 Mary’s Point Road, Harvey, Albert Co. (Near Riverside-Albert), NB. Both the author and Mary Majka will be there to sign books.

To read more about the story behind the writing of Sanctuary, visit author, Deborah Carr’s blog, What If?

AQUACULTURE: Aquaculture company denies using harmful pesticide

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Image Credit: wikipedia.com



Investigation: Environment Canada probing discovery of illegal substance in Bay of Fundy

Derwin Gowan
Telegraph-Journal

ST. STEPHEN - Northern Harvest Sea Farms does not use the pesticide cypermethrin, company chief executive officer Larry Ingalls said in a news release Thursday.

On Sept. 23, Environment Canada issued "inspectors directions" telling Northern Harvest and Ocean Legacy Inc. to cease using cypermethrin, and prevent its use in the future, in floating salmon cages in the Bay of Fundy off Charlotte County.

The department based these orders on results of samples taken in the spring that show cypermethrin was present in salmon cages belonging to the two companies, said Robert Robichaud in Moncton, operations manager for the department's enforcement branch in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

The test results showed "detectable" levels of this chemical licenced for agricultural use, but not for a marine environment in Canada, Robichaud said.

The department took the samples from May through July as part of a program of routine inspections of aquaculture sites that began this spring, Robichaud said.

The two companies must "immediately stop any use of cypermethrin and prevent any future use of cypermethrin," Robichaud said. The companies could be fined up to $200,000 for not complying.

The investigation continues into who put the cypermethrin, commonly used to kill potato bugs and on blueberries, in the water.

The probe could lead to criminal charges.

Environment Canada's laboratory in Moncton identified cypermetrhin on dead lobster in the Bay of Fundy last fall.

On Nov. 19 the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association reported dead lobster in traps. More were found Nov. 23 in Pocologan, and off Deer Island Dec. 3.

On Sept. 8 this year, a fisherman reported a number of dead lobsters off Campobello Island. The laboratory has yet to identify any chemicals on these lobsters.

Canada does not licence cypermethrin for use in water, but the substance does kill sea lice, a bane to salmon farmers.

Traditional fisheries favour banning all chemicals from the bay, controlling sea lice by reducing the number of salmon in sea cages, Fundy North Fishermen's Association executive director Maria Recchia said in an interview.

The industry should raise fish in tanks on land, John Werring with the David Suzuki Foundation said from Vancover.

"This is just all part of an ongoing investigation," said Pamela Parker, executive director of the New Brunswick Salmon Growers' Association. "We shouldn't draw conclusions until the investigation reaches its end point."

"Northern Harvest Sea Farms has not, is not and will not use cypermethrin. The use of this, or any other unauthorized products is strictly against the company and owner's policy," Ingalls said in his written statement.

The company will co-operate with Environment Canada's investigation, he said.

Environment Canada found "positive results at very low levels in May" at two sites, Ingalls said.

"Ongoing tests at these sites have resulted in negative readings. All other farms tested had negative results, including recent testing at three farms in Campobello.

"Because of the seriousness of this issue, Northern Harvest immediately contracted an independent laboratory analysis of the sites in question among others. All those results have been negative," he said.

Northern Harvest will say no more while the investigation continues, he said.

Ocean Legacy did not return calls.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

ENERGY: Alward to shelve Areva deal at Point Lepreau

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Generation: Premier-elect says he plans to put future nuclear plans with Areva on ice and concentrate on the ongoing completion of Point Lepreau power plant refurbishment

REBECCA PENTY
Telegraph-Journal

Premier-elect David Alward says he will put an agreement with nuclear firm Areva Canada Inc., to look at building a second reactor in the province, on the back burner when he takes the reins next month.

Toronto energy consultant Tom Adams said he believes the Areva deal was an attempt by the outgoing Liberal Premier Shawn Graham to direct attention away from a scrapped plan to sell NB Power assets to Hydro-Québec, which was originally met with public discontent.

Alward, who will be sworn in on Oct. 12, said Tuesday his focus will be on seeing a completion of the ongoing Point Lepreau nuclear power plant refurbishment, which continues to be mired in long delays.

"My priority is to get Point Lepreau up and running and Mr. Graham, perhaps at an opportune time, came out with the idea there could be a second nuclear plant in the province 10 to 15 years down the road," Alward said, a day after winning a large majority in the provincial election.

Areva, the New Brunswick government and NB Power announced in Saint John in early July that the French company - the world's largest nuclear vendor firm - would examine the feasibility of building a light-water nuclear reactor in the province by 2020, creating a clean energy park with other sources of power including natural gas cogeneration, wind, biomass and solar, as well investing in research and development.

The idea was that the private sector would finance the project and NB Power would operate the reactor.

But Alward later said the benefits would have to outweigh the risks for New Brunswickers and expressed concern there would be a request for government investment in the nuclear plant.

The Progressive Conservative leader said Tuesday he wants the existing plant at Point Lepreau back on the grid by February 2012 and that "other things will take care of themselves after."

Read the entire article here: http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/journal/article/1239378

Pre-operational environmental monitoring report for the Point Lepreau, N.B., nuclear generating station - 1981 (Canadian technical report of hydrography and ocean sciences)

AQUACULTURE: Illegal pesticide use probed in 4 N.B. aquaculture sites

Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 CBC News

Environment Canada has launched four active investigations into the alleged illegal use of the pesticide Cypermethrin in the Bay of Fundy.

Last fall, federal government investigators found the chemical cypermethrin present in weak and dying lobsters in the Bay of Fundy.

Now, further inspections done over the past few months have turned up detectable levels of cypermethrin at two other aquaculture sites in southwest New Brunswick.

The chemical is illegal for marine use in Canada, but it's used in other countries to combat sea lice.
'We know it's toxic to all crustaceans and that's a problem not only for our fisheries but for the environment.'— Maria Recchia, Fundy North Fishermen's Association

The initial discovery of lobster kills in the Grand Manan and Deer Island areas late last year launched two investigations that are still ongoing.

Ever since, Environment Canada officials have been monitoring the Bay of Fundy through routine inspections and sample collections.

Between May and July, they found levels of cypermethrin in certain fish farms in Charlotte Country, which led to two new investigations into its alleged use.

Robert Robichaud, a district manager with the department's environmental enforcement branch, said government officials have issued a legal document known as "inspector's directions" to the two companies that own the affected sites.

"Those directions are quite specific by nature. And what they require is the immediate cease to use any illegal chemicals — in this case cypermethrin — and to prevent it from being used in the future," Robichaud said.

The companies are Northern Harvest Sea Farms and Ocean Legacy, both are based in L'Etang, N.B.

Neither company returned calls for an interview.

Concerns raised

Maria Recchia, an official with the Fundy North Fishermen's Association, said she's concerned by the latest results.

"We know it's toxic to all crustaceans and that's a problem not only for our fisheries but for the environment," Recchia said.

No charges have been laid to date and the investigations continue. Robichaud said a violation of the inspector's directions can result in a $200,000 fine.

This isn't the first time the pesticide has been found in the Bay of Fundy. In 1996, about 50,000 lobsters were found dead in a pound near St. George. Tests revealed they were exposed to cypermethrin.

Many people at the time blamed the aquaculture industries in the area for the pesticide getting into the water.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/09/29/nb-lobster-fundy-cypermethrin-557.html?ref=rss#ixzz10vEkN05u

More about Cypermethrin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypermethrin