West Hants opposes uranium mining

Few topics unified the large crowd gathered at the Windsor community centre Tuesday evening, May 27; but one speaker’s comments drew enthusiastic applause. When the microphone passed to West Hants Warden Richard Dauphinee, he said, “we won’t be supporting uranium mining.”

Representatives of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia and a Capella Resources executive were among the few who did not join in the cheers.

The evening was the latest stop in Voluntary Planning Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources Citizen Engagement Committee’s tour of the province. The group is gathering citizen input on biodiversity, forests, minerals and parks on behalf of the provincial Natural Resources Department.

A moratorium on uranium exploration imposed in the early 1980s is rumoured to be under review. Citing historical precedent, Dauphinee added, “in the early 80s, West Hants council carried the torch, and I would not be surprised that, in 2008, we grab on to it again.”

Council has not officially addressed the issue, yet, but Dauphinee seemed confident he had his councillors’ support.

Good council turn out

Dauphinee was not the only political representative present; six of nine West Hants councillors came out to participate in the process.

Coun. Shirley Pineo, who represents Avondale-the Burlingtons, was one who joined the discussion. “I’m very proud that our municipal council has taken a stand that we are against clear cutting.” Speaking as a private citizen, Pineo, who lives near the current Fundy Gypsum quarries, expressed concern about mining industry practices. “I would hope that the mining companies would come up with better technologies to preserve the land.”

Brooklyn-Scotch Village Coun. Randy Matheson used his turn with the microphone to briefly speak against large-scale forestry practices, such as clear cutting and aerial spraying.

Although many in the crowd seemed impressed that six of nine councilors were present to listen and contribute to the process, the municipality took some hits during the evening. One resident commented that, while laudable for council to object to clear cutting, endorsing the proposed Fundy Gypsum expansion means approving extensive clear cuts.