For Immediate Release: March 29

Get cracking, not fracking

and more smart choices for the environment

The provincial government needs to get cracking on its environmental agenda. When in opposition, the NDP were a strong voice for the environment and the green economy, since coming to power that voice has dropped to a whisper. The recent decision to protect farmland was a good decision both environmentally and economically. Nova Scotia needs more decisions like that.

Here are five decisions the Ecology Action Centre encourages the government to make in the upcoming session:

1. Place a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking for shale gas);
2. Stop whole-tree harvesting and put the brakes on large-scale biomass burning for electricity:
3. Introduce the long delayed wetland strategy;
4. Place a moratorium on open net finfish aquaculture (closed systems okay); and
5. Introduce sustainable and active transportation strategies and fund them.

While unpopular with some, we believe these measures, if implemented wisely, would have the support of the majority of Nova Scotians. They could be implemented quickly and with little or no cost.

“We would encourage the Minister of Environment to become an active champion for these and other measures in Government,” says Mark Butler, Policy Director at EAC. “Environmental issues cut across jurisdictions and departments and the Minister needs to engage his fellow ministers and Premier in protecting the environment and promoting a green economy.”

Since coming to power, the NDP have significantly undermined the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (EGSPA) by missing, and in some cases, delaying by years, some of the goals. (The goal on mercury emission reductions was delayed by four years and the wetland goal is 15 months overdue.)  EGSPA was introduced by the previous government in 2007 with the full support of the NDP and the Liberals.                                                                                       

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Backgrounder: Hydraulic Fracturing
Fracking is a process used in the exploration and extraction of natural gas, and may be used more frequently in Nova Scotia over the coming years.  Citizens across the province are concerned about the volume of water, contamination of drinking water, and stored and transported chemicals, associated with this activity.  The Ecology Action Centre is calling for a moratorium on fracking in Nova Scotia, in exploration and production wells, until a strategic environmental assessment is completed, which will define the positive and negative environmental effects for government, citizens and industry.
Jennifer West, EAC- 442-5046/ groundwater@ecologyaction.ca
Frances Oommen, 945-2108/f_oommen@hotmail.com

Sustainable Forestry
The government is three months late with its new Natural Resources Strategy, which was supposed, by law, to be released by the end of 2010.  The Strategy will detail the government's plans to fulfill its promises to ban whole-tree harvesting, reduce clearcutting to no more than 50% of total forest cutting, and stop funding herbicide spraying on Nova Scotia's forests.
Jamie Simpson, EAC- 429-1335/forests@ecologyaction.ca
Kathy Didkowsky, Save Caribou- 632 2414

Wetland Policy
The no-net-loss of wetland policy is missing in action.   In 2007, the province committed to developing a policy to prevent the net loss of wetland area and function by December 2009. A draft policy was circulated for public comment in July 2009.  However, 15 months past its due date, the final policy has yet to be released.
Jennifer Graham, EAC- 442-5046/coastal @ecologyaction.ca

Aquaculture
Open net finfish aquaculture results in direct discharge of feed and fecal pollutants, antibiotics, and toxic pesticides into our marine and coastal environments, negative interactions with wild species, and conflicts with fisheries and other coastal uses. Nova Scotia has an opportunity to invest and become a world leader in the development of closed-containment finfish production that would produce a popular seafood product in demand for it's high sustainability criteria.  We urge a moratorium on open net finfish aquaculture until an improved regulatory system makes publicly accessible the testing results of the existing salmon farming sites in Nova Scotia and the government has a publicly available plan for provincial aquaculture expansion that is linked to fishery policy and coastal strategy.
Rob Johnson, EAC-446-4840 atlantic@seachoice.org
Karen Crocker, St. Mary's Bay Coastal Alliance, 902-839-2177, freeportwhale@gmail.com

Sustainable Transportation
The Ecology Action Centre urges the Government of Nova Scotia to complete and deliver on the Sustainable Transportation Strategy as promised in 2010 in "Toward a Greener Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Action Plan." The strategy must include active transportation and both rural and urban transit components. Currently separate government departments are working on this important file in relative isolation from each other.  This strategy must be accompanied by dedicated funding, that reflects current levels of use by mode of travel.  For instance in the 2006 census, 8.8% of trips were made by walking and cycling, therefore active transportation should receive 8.8% of the total transportation budget.
Scott MacPhee, EAC- 429-0924/trax@ecologyaction.ca
Peter Williams, Nova Scotia Bikeways Coalition-471-4424/peter@nsbikeways.ca