News Release
Sobey's Urged to Re-Think Plan to Dump Pyretic Slate into Moir's Pond
(Friday, July 26/2002)-- Sobey's should re-think its plan to infill historic Moir's Pond in Bedford with pyretic slate, in light of the recent fish-kill and contamination of the Little Sackville River, Councillor Len Goucher said today.
Councillor Goucher said Moir's Pond, adjacent to the Sobey's 24-hour store in Bedford, is a highly-oxygenated body of saltwater and freshwater and there are no guarantees there will not be leaching from the pyretic slate.
Atlantic Shopping Centres Limited, a Sobey's company, took responsibility yesterday for the recent huge fish-kill and contamination of the Little Sackville River. A subcontractor accidentally broke a water main during the demolition of the former K-Mart Store in Sackville.
A news release from the company yesterday stated "the water migrated underground towards a holding pond and then into the Little Sackville River. Aluminium hydroxide produced by the chemical reaction between the discharge and the clay and slate likely led to the fish kill."
The release stated Atlantic Shopping Centres will pay all reasonable costs associated with the clean-up and re-stocking of fish stocks of the Little Sackville River.
Councillor Goucher has been outspoken during the past year regarding Sobey's plan to infill the Moir's Pond with pyretic slate excavated from its new store in Fall River. More than 5,000 Bedford and area residents recently signed a petition, which was tabled in Legislature by Community Services Minister Peter Christie (MLA- Bedford/Fall River) opposing the planned in-fill. It was supported by the two Opposition parties.
The Councillor said "Nine per cent of the fresh water flowing into the Bedford Basin comes from Paper Mill Lake, which flows through the Mill Run and into Moir's Pond. After the experience with pyretic slate in the Sackville River, I hope the developer will re-think their plan to in-fill this historic body of water."
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Councillor Len Goucher
(902) 476-0021
