Latest news with #drinking water
CBC
29-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Coxheath Hills residents worried about silence surrounding proposed CBRM copper mine
Social Sharing Residents in the Coxheath Hills area about 10 kilometres southwest of Sydney, N.S., are nervously awaiting word on the status of a proposed copper mine. Nova Copper offered to buy some land two years ago from Cape Breton Regional Municipality for its proposed mining project, but council declined to publicly consider it. Laura MacNeil, president of the Keep Coxheath Clean Association, said residents are worried a copper mine could hurt wildlife and ruin the drinking water. "The community has to be on board and we are simply not," she said in a recent interview. "We refuse to become a sacrifice zone." MacNeil said CBRM council promised consultation with residents two years ago, but is no longer responding to requests for information. "It's really concerning," she said. "We are a group of citizens who have legitimate concerns with this project. It has the potential to poison our drinking water, so we kind of feel like we're yelling into the void." Copper exploration ongoing Copper is a critical mineral needed for batteries, electric motors and renewable energy. According to the Mining Association of Nova Scotia, the first exploration for copper in the Coxheath Hills began in 1878. Nova Copper president Harry Cabrita has said the project is still in its exploration phase and workers are collecting mineral samples over a wide area. According to the Keep Coxheath Clean Association, a freedom of information request with CBRM uncovered a letter from the company to Coun. Esmond (Blue) Marshall last fall. In it, Nova Copper said it would be reaching out to First Nations leaders and creating a community liaison committee "in the weeks to come." No one from Nova Copper would provide an interview, but spokesman Joe Hines said in an email that the company is close to signing an agreement. He did not say what that agreement would mean. Marshall, who represents the Coxheath Hills area on CBRM council, said in a phone call last week that he has not heard anything lately about the proposed mine. Meanwhile, MacNeil called it upsetting that the provincial government is pushing for the development of critical metals like copper. "That was not part of their platform when we were in the election back in the fall, so it's disappointing that they are now deciding without the voters' say that this is the direction we're taking. "We believe in development. We know that's so important. We need jobs in Nova Scotia, but it can't be at any cost." MacNeil said the silence around the project has residents wondering if it is being advanced without public scrutiny. "You know, mining waste is toxic. It can affect entire watersheds. "This is a really serious concern. This is not NIMBYism. This is our water supply. Are we going to be able to drink it? That is a fundamental issue here that nobody seems to be recognizing." Environmental agency ACAP Cape Breton has been collecting data on biodiversity in the area during the month of June for the past two years. Executive director Kathleen Aikens said it's too soon to talk about this year's findings, but last year volunteers found older forests, a variety of trees, plants and animals, as well as an olive-sided flycatcher — a bird considered a species at risk. She said that does not necessarily mean the area needs to be protected and more studies are needed before deciding whether a mine should open there. "Really. it's about having as much information as possible to make good decisions," Aikens said.
CBC
17-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Researcher says N.W.T. officials taking right steps after school lead investigation
A health professor who studies lead exposure in Canada says he's confident that the N.W.T. government is responding appropriately to a recent investigation into lead in the drinking water at two Yellowknife schools — and that the priority must be to reduce any ongoing risks. Earlier this week the N.W.T.'s education minister said her department is committed to implementing the recommendations made by an independent investigator who looked into how the territory responded to the discovery of lead in drinking water at École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School. Bruce Lanphear is a professor in the department of health sciences at Simon Fraser University whose research focuses on toxic chemicals and children's health. He said Yellowknife school officials reached out to him to talk about the investigation and he spoke with them on Tuesday. "What I came away with from my meeting this morning was that they are taking all the necessary steps," Lanphear said on Tuesday afternoon. "They've got a longer-term strategy to make sure that all the sources are mitigated, and that's really what we want them to do now." In a statement this week, Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland said the investigation confirmed "warning signs were missed, key test results weren't escalated quickly enough and communication between departments and with the public was inconsistent." Lanphear acknowledged the public concern around the issue. "Parents are understandably concerned, understandably angry… This should have been dealt with 20 years ago," he said. Based on the lead levels detected at the Yellowknife schools, Lanphear agrees with the N.W.T.'s chief public health officer that blood lead levels in students and staff would likely not be above the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's level of concern, which is 3.5 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL) for children. However, Lanphear said even low-level exposure to lead can have effects. Health Canada also says that health effects have been associated with blood lead levels as low as 1 to 2 μg/dL, though it acknowledges "uncertainty associated with effects observed at these levels." Lanphear says another group at higher risk from lead exposure is pregnant women. His research has found that blood lead levels of 1 μg/dL were associated with a 50 per cent increase in preterm birth. He says blood testing can be done but there's nothing to do in response to elevated blood lead levels other than reducing further exposure. "The main thing is to stop it from continuing to happen," he said. Past and future testing In 2019, Health Canada updated its guideline for lead in drinking water — cutting the acceptable concentration of the metal in half, from 10 µg/L to 5 µg/L. The N.W.T. government was looking into doing its own testing for lead in school water around the same time, but plans for that testing fell through. Agata Gutkowska, manager of public affairs and communications for the territory's environment department, says it came down to costs. "At the time, the water testing program included elements beyond lead. This broader scope increased the overall estimated cost — exceeding $100,000 — which contributed to the decision not to proceed at that time," said Gutkowska. The N.W.T. government has committed to annual testing of school water going forward, but the cost of that is still being determined. Gutkowska said the cost will depend on things like the number of water outlets and where a school is located. She said the goal is to develop a program that is sustainable for the long term. The program scope will be determined by a steering committee made up of senior officials from the territory's health, environment, and infrastructure departments, as well as YK Education District No. 1. Gutkowski said some operational staff who were involved in the initial testing initiative will continue to support future work. "As the program is formalized under the oversight of the steering committee, roles and responsibilities are being clarified to support a more structured and sustainable approach." Future testing will take place at schools across the territory including St. Patrick High School in Yellowknife, which was flagged for retesting since its results were below, but close to, the maximum acceptable level for lead in drinking water.
CNN
16-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Ecuador's capital rocked by water shortage crisis upending daily life
Desperation is mounting in Ecuador's capital as thousands of people remain without drinking water a week into Quito's worst shortage in 25 years. The daily lives of some 400,000 residents have been seriously disrupted by the emergency, which happened after a landslide damaged a pipeline that supplied water to much of southern Quito. 'We can't live without water!' shout residents of the Chillogallo neighborhood as they line up along a street, waiting for a tanker to deliver water. Emergency crews have been racing to distribute water supplies to six affected areas and remove sludge from the damaged pipelines, all while officials in Quito city government and national government officials bicker over how to address the crisis. With buckets, bottles, trash cans and other kinds of containers, residents wait in the street for a water tanker to arrive. Among them is Inés Castro, 74, who sits on a sidewalk under the sun. 'We've been waiting in line since morning, and no one has arrived,' Castro said, with tears welling up in her eyes when asked if anyone accompanied her. 'I live alone, I'm all alone,' she replies and said she hopes a neighbor will help her carry the bucket home if she manages to fill it. The municipality has mobilized some 70 water trucks, but they are not enough to serve everyone and don't always adhere to a schedule. Erselinda Guilca, who is now retired, says her health is failing and asks for a quick solution to the problem. 'We're old and can no longer carry heavy buckets of water. We have been here in this cold since morning, hungry. We don't even have water to bathe,' she said, adding that she would prefer not to have electricity than to be without water, which is essential. With a plastic washbasin and a pot from her kitchen, Elsa Sarango joins the neighbors' protest while waiting in line for the water truck. 'If we were young, we wouldn't mind carrying it; this is very heavy. I just ask for a little water,' she said. She insists that as the days go by, the sanitation and hygiene needs in her home increase. 'They don't tell us the exact time. We have to make trips little by little, otherwise, how would we live?' Elsewhere in southern Quito, people in the Nueva Aurora neighborhood have grown increasingly desperate and are gathering in the central park to collect water from a spring that doesn't meet sanitary or purification standards. Residents have to walk several blocks to retrieve this water. Others get there on vehicles and bicycles, and some rent small, homemade carts that are used to transport containers to avoid carrying so much weight. 'At least it works for me to use for the bathroom. My house is four blocks away. There's no other option, even if the water isn't drinkable,' a man arriving in a hurry tells CNN. A bricklayer named Tomás Chiguano says he's forced to carry water in black garbage bags because he doesn't have any containers. 'We don't have trash cans. We're there carrying it in bags, and sometimes the bags come out torn,' he said. Chiguano emphasizes that his work as a bricklayer is affected because he lacks water to mix construction materials like cement and sand, which are essential for his projects. As of Tuesday, the government has installed the first portable water treatment plant in the area to prevent health problems. Residents of southern Quito who are looking for transportation to reach water distribution points are upset because the shortage is increasing their costs to access this basic service, saying they have to pay transporters to help them move the containers. 'We don't have water to wash clothes. We're tired of carrying it. Sometimes we pay $2 or $3 USD for the car to help us,' a woman tells CNN while waiting for her husband to finish. Meanwhile, María Tipán said she has to make up to eight trips. Her biggest concern is not having water to wash the clothes of the grandchildren she's raising. 'Seven or eight trips to carry water, and they charge us $5 USD. We don't even have enough to wash clothes. I have grandchildren who make a mess. Water is getting very expensive, and they'll charge us the full water bill,' Tipán said. The municipality of Quito has ordered the deployment of 71 water tankers, five hydrants, five inflatable systems and three fixed water distribution points in southern Quito to address the emergency. Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz expects drinking water service to be restored to residents of the six affected areas by Sunday. His office says workers have so far removed 77% of the soil in the area where the landslide occurred. 'This is the most serious water emergency Quito has ever faced, and it was caused by an extreme natural phenomenon. More than 500 people are working daily on this emergency. In the páramo or in the neighborhoods. At dawn, at night, or under the sun,' Muñoz stated. Tankers from other cities and cantons have joined the efforts to aid and assist citizens. The Association of Municipalities of Ecuador coordinated the deployment of these units to Quito. The national and local governments are meeting separately to address the emergency, which has led to disputes over the management of the response. The national government has tasked Vice President María José Pinto with supplying and distributing aid to the affected population. The National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) announced the installation of three portable water purification plants at strategic locations with the support of the Ecuadorian Red Cross. Energy Minister and COE President Inés Manzano criticized the Quito municipality's response to the emergency and indicated that the Ministry of Environment recently requested a crisis plan, which, according to the official, was not submitted. 'And in fact, we have insisted that they provide us with a technical report on what happened and what activities they will carry out to complement it. Since there hasn't been such truthful and timely communication, we have intervened,' she said. Meanwhile, Mayor Muñoz questioned the lack of fluid communication with the national government. 'Why hasn't there been contact with the Municipality? Why haven't they been present at the Unified Command Post?' he said. The government has asked the municipality for greater cooperation to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. President Daniel Noboa has not yet commented publicly on the water crisis. In recent days, various social sectors and labor unions have protested Noboa's lack of attention to social policies, as well as certain laws passed by the national assembly. Noboa, who won reelection earlier this year, has been focused largely on national security issues, including a massive crackdown on violent criminal groups. CNN's Ivonne Valdés contributed to this report.
