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The Bras d'Or Stewardship Society |
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Index: Recent changes with regard to provincial legislation regarding on-site sewage disposal is cause for concern in the protection of the Bras d'Or and its watershed from human waste as a pollutant responsible for adverse effects regarding water quality. The fact that shellfish beds are already closed because of high faecal coliform counts is not acceptable. Any changes in regulations which impose an increased threat to Bras d'Or Lake water quality (i.e. more closing of shellfish grounds) must not be tolerated. On March 25, 1997 a new directive regarding treatment of human waste was tabled by Nova Scotia's Minister of the Environment. A follow up directive dated July 1997 entitled "Directive of the Interpretation of Section 32 (7) (C) of On-Site Sewage Disposal Regulations". The essence of these changes provided that "sewage holding tanks" would be acceptable for some classes of dwellings which had not been previously the case.What is more, the follow-up Directive greatly dilutes controlling regulations concerning the installation and use of the holding tank for domestic waste collection. In fact, a householder can now get a private contractor to put such a "holding tank" in the ground. All safety measures with regard to such a system are handled by the property owner and his or her contractor. There is no doubt that this is akin to asking the fox to look after the chickens. The Public Health Inspectors do have the power to check on-site "engineering", but there are few inspectors to do the job. With no official inspection policy and monitoring standards in place, the potential threat is menacing from any way you look at it. The bottom line; property owners whose land does not qualify for a septic system have an option of storing sewage in a holding tank which lacks inspection rules that in all likelihood will increase the threat of pollution in the Bras d'Or Lake. Yours truly, Johnny-On-The-Spot Bras d'Or Stewardship Society |
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