Coalition fights proposed re-zoning

Community support is growing to fight the re-zoning application to put a construction and demolition waste processing facility near Porters Lake.

Kiann Management wants to re-zone 14.7 hectares of land to build the facility off the number seven highway.

On March 2, HRM held an open house in the community to give residents a chance to meet with planners about the proposed project.

Deb Day, chair of the citizens group the Coalition for Safe and Healthy Communities for Preston, Mineville, Lake Echo and Porters Lake, said the information shared was valuable but there was not enough time to respond to all the questions coming from the community.

“There will be another open house held soon. Many people are concerned about what this could mean for their way of life, health and the peaceful enjoyment of their homes.”

She said there are very real problems that have to be addressed.

“These are residential communities with approximately 10,000 residents and is the fastest growing region within HRM. There are multiple lakes, rivers and wetlands throughout. Watershed studies have been conducted on both Lake Echo and Porters Lake and there are already issues. The lakes cannot withstand any further pollutants. I live on Lake Echo and my family kayaks and swims here. I have asthma and would be negatively affected by air pollutants.”

Day said noise and traffic will also be a problem if the project goes ahead.

“Depending on the route the trucks will take, they could be passing anywhere from 35 to 48 school bus stops any given morning or afternoon. There are day care centres, athletic clubs, children’s day camps, seniors walking with no sidewalks or decent shoulders to walk on, that kind of traffic would be devastating. The noise, let me say, they don’t call this Lake Echo for nothing.”

There is already a negative economic impact where land deals and house sales have fallen through, said Day.

“Residents are threatening to leave. The fear and anger is palatable. The impacted areas are not wealthy and there are a large number of low income families who would not have the resources to stand against this on their own. This fact, along with the fact that Preston is also an affected community, hits at the heart of environmental racism.”

Since their formation a few months ago, the coalition has organized meetings, set up a Facebook and website and started a letter writing campaign.

“One can only hope that HRM would stand true to their signature on the Blue Dot Movement, where they agreed to stand by the premise that HRM citizens have the basic human right to clean air and water.”

The re-zoning application says the proposed facility would be situated 305 metres away from the nearest homes.

Day said she doesn’t believe there will be no impact on the communities.

“The water and the air will be affected. We have said many times that we believe that recycling of such materials is critical to the environment but they should not be plunked down in the middle of four residential communities. It should be strategically placed where residents are not impacted, that is what they have industrial parks for. And I don’t mean industrial parks that are mere hundreds of metres away from someone’s home. Such places do exist in HRM.”

HRM is planning another open house soon to collect feedback from residents, but it could be months before a decision is made about re-zoning.

Members of the coalition are suggesting residents write to the municipal planner, Thea Langille, with their concerns.

“They need to copy the municipal clerk requesting that their letter or email be part of the official court record,” said Day. “They can copy other elected officials at all three levels of government.”

Contact information can be found at nodumponhwy7.org, or on the Facebook page called “Concerned Residents of Porters Lake, Lake Echo, Mineville and Preston Areas.” To request further information, email [email protected].