Latest news with #environmentalConcerns
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Hants County, N.S., residents rally to oppose uranium mining in the region
A Hants County, N.S., resident who planned a weekend meeting to discuss uranium mining in the area says residents in attendance voiced concerns about potential environmental and health harms and a lack of government consultation. Sarah Trask, who lives in the community of Vaughan, N.S., said in an interview Monday the community meeting to discuss proposed uranium mining in nearby Millet Brook filled a local fire station Saturday. 'The response was overwhelming,' she said, adding that the goal of the meeting was to bring information about uranium mining to the community 'because the province hasn't consulted with us.' The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. Companies interested have until June 11 to submit their proposals. The locations are: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of these areas fall on private land. The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. However, Section 26 of the province's Mineral Resources Act allows the natural resources minister to intervene if there is a stalemate. The province did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Trask said speakers at Saturday's event included a municipal councillor, a Mi'kmaq elder, two members of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and local residents. Some of these speakers voiced concerns that uranium exploration could result in potential water contamination or exposure to radon gas and radioactive dust. Trask said a project with such a high potential for risk should require extensive consultation. 'The province hasn't consulted with anyone, including First Nations and our municipalities. Usually we would hear these things through our municipal government, but these conversations just weren't had, which I feel is quite shocking,' she said. The Nova Scotia Assembly of Mi'kmaw Chiefs has repeatedly voiced concerns about government's lack of consultation with its communities as Nova Scotia pushes to develop natural resources. Legislation passed in March lifted a full ban on uranium exploration and mining that had been put in place in 2009, although there had been a moratorium on such activities since 1981. Premier Tim Houston has said the legislative changes were needed to help the province withstand economic challenges from American tariffs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Disposable vapes are officially BANNED in the UK as government cracks down on cheap nicotine dispensers commonly littered and sold to children
A ban on single-use vapes has today come into force across Britain as the government looks to crack down on waste and the growing number of children hooked on nicotine. Around five million disposable vapes were thrown away each week last year rather than being recycled - sparking major environmental concerns as the batteries can leak waste and cause fires. And a survey commissioned by NHS England last October revealed that around one in ten secondary school pupils were regular users of the devices. The new legislation means vapes must be considered 'reusable' - through being refillable or having a charging port - or they will be classed as illegal. Shops have already begun stocking 'rechargeable' versions of vapes which are retailing for the same price as the disposable offerings. Further moves to raise the age of sale of tobacco products and to regulate the displays, flavours and packaging of reusable vapes are also being taken forward through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Nature minister Mary Creagh was asked on Friday whether the new legislation would be enough and said: 'Well let's bring in the ban first. That's what I would say.' 'I'm confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we're doing this weekend not achieve the goals. 'But I'm confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people, getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there's no such place as "away" and that these are really difficult to recycle.' She added that most large vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils meaning they will fall within the scope of the ban. The government is also considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations. Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling. Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste, and if littered, they can cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment and wildlife. Major eco organisations last week called on retailers to make more collection points available for the products. Director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne also called on shop owners to do more. Mr Dunne said: 'This needs joined-up action from across the waste chain and more effort needs to be done to provide consumers with disposal points at the point of use and not just point of sale.' He added that while the UKVIA works to educate consumers on sustainable vape use and recycling initiatives 'more needs to be done'. 'We would encourage the Government to launch a national consumer education which includes responsible disposal of vapes, why vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and warning of the dangers of buying non-compliant products from the black market or other irregular sellers.' According to research by online nicotine retailer, Haypp, 82 per cent of disposable vape users stockpiled ahead of the ban. Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, urged shops to comply with the new laws, dubbing vapes a 'blight [on] our streets.' He added: 'We would also urge caution to anyone stockpiling disposable vapes. Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.'
CBC
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Protesters push back against controversial southern Alberta coal project
Near the eastern slopes of the Rockies in southern Alberta, demonstrators are speaking out against the Alberta Energy Regulator's latest decision allowing drilling permits in search of coal at Grassy Mountain. As the CBC's Acton Clarkin reports, locals with environmental concerns say they feel ignored by the provincial government.
CTV News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Noise and environmental concerns sparking community pushback against airport plans
Noise pollution and environmental concerns are sparking pushback against a new construction project at the Montreal-Trudeau airport.
