WP-1343
Presentation to Panel Reviewing Proposed Whites Cove Quarry Application
Meteghan Fire Hall, January 9, 2005
Janet Larkman, Executive Director, Western Valley Development Agency
It is of particular interest to the Western Valley Development Agency that
developments which occur in this region are economically, socially, and
environmentally sustainable, and in the best interest of the communities.
To set the context for this discussion, it is important to note that the region has
been recognized as unique in the world. The United Nations Education, Science
and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, selected Digby Neck and Islands as a
paradigm of a North Atlantic community that is developing community-driven
solutions to address the impacts of global change. UNESCO has also
designated the entire region of Southwest Nova Scotia as a World Biosphere
Reserve.
These designations reflect the value that people in the communities place on
finding local solutions to economic development, and on the health of the
environment. In recognition of that, the Board of Directors of the WVDA has
taken the position that the community of Digby Neck should have a primary role
in determining whether the proposed rock quarry should go ahead or not.
We ask that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) address the impacts of
the proposed quarry on the health of the environment, economy, and
communities of Digby Neck and Islands, and the region as a whole, as
integrated, interconnected elements.
To do this effectively, it would be necessary to conduct a full-cost accounting of
the net benefits of the quarry to the region. In developing an appropriate
framework for such an analysis, it may be useful to refer to the work of Dr.
Ronald Colemen and GPI Atlantic, which created the Genuine Progress Index as
an alternative to the practice of equating progress with economic growth alone.
To quote:
“The GPI links the economy with social and environmental variables to create a
more comprehensive and accurate measurement tool. The GPI accounts for the
value of human, social, and natural capital, in addition to standard measures of
produced capital, and assigns value to assets like population health, educational
attainment, community safety, voluntary work, and environmental quality.”
The Nova Scotia GPI consists of 22 social, economic and environmental
components, which are attached for reference. In the context of full-cost
accounting, we have some specific questions we would like to see addressed by
the EIS.
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1) Jobs: Jobs and livelihood are obviously an important part of economic
development. We understand that quarries of this scale tend to employ
approximately 5-10 heavy equipment operators on site. These jobs tend to be
highly specialized. How many jobs will be created on site and what will be the
duration of these jobs? Will residents of the local communities most affected by
the quarry be given priority in the hiring process? If specific skills are required,
will local residents be provided with opportunities for training? If new jobs are
created, will others be lost?
The EIS should take into account the impacts on other existing and future
employment and business development opportunities. This should include, but
not be limited to, developments that are currently underway to enhance:
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eco-tourism and ecological research capacity;
diversification of the fisheries, including potential harvesting, processing
and aquaculture developments;
manufacturing opportunities, including the manufacturing of new fisheriesrelated technologies;
construction and real estate, including life-style and retirement investors;
and
opportunities for remote or off-site employment through
telecommunications technologies.
It should be noted that where potential employment opportunities are not site
specific, such as work that can be conducted through the Internet, factors such
as quality of life must be taken into consideration as elements affecting people’s
decisions to relocate or to remain residents on Digby Neck and Islands.
There are many new developments being explored and pursued by
entrepreneurs or organizations in the region. Many of these enterprises are not
in the public domain at the present time, and therefore may not be known to the
proponent. Therefore, the proponent should indicate by what methodology it will
inventory and assess present and future employment and business development
opportunities in the region, and the in what ways the quarry development could
impact, positively or negatively, these opportunities.
2) Eco-Tourism: The emerging tourism industry on Digby Neck and Islands is
almost exclusively nature-based. The region has established an international
reputation as an eco-tourism destination, home to unique land and marine ecosystems. The region provides visitors with unparalleled opportunities to view
migratory birds and marine life, including the endangered Right Whale. The
region expects to see a proposed Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre created, which
would serve as a tourism draw and a vehicle for education and research.
The proponent’s assessments of the impact on tourism should include direct,
tangible impacts, such as view planes from land and sea. It should also assess
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how the presence of a large quarry may alter the perception of Digby Neck and
Islands as an eco-tourism destination, and how that in turn could impact tourism
visitations and willingness of investors to commit dollars to future tourism
infrastructure developments.
3) Fisheries: When assessing the impact on the fisheries, the following aspects
of the quarry operation are of particular concern to us:
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Ballast Water: Bulk ships require water for ballast; water loaded in New
England will be emptied into the Bay of Fundy, possibly introducing alien
species and pollutants. There are many precedents for this to be a
concern. For example, zebra mussels, an invasive species, were
introduced to the Lake Ontario ecosystem in the 1980s through ballast
water, and have since destroyed a significant amount of plankton, which is
critical to the marine food chain. Zebra mussels have also interfered with
the generation of hydro-eclectic power, a problem that has proven
expensive and complicated to control. How will the depositing of ballast
water impact the marine ecosystem in the Bay of Fundy, and how will that
in turn impact the fisheries and eco-tourism industries, which are
dependent on the health of the marine ecosystem for their survival?
Sediment: If sediment from crushing and washing rock is not completely
contained, it could be introduced into the Bay of Fundy. Should this occur,
some species affected may include sea urchins, which require sediment
and particulate-free waters to continually flush their systems. The
harvesting of sea urchins is presently a component of the Digby Neck and
Islands economy, and the potential to establish a sea-urchin processing
plant that could provide additional employment is a future possibility.
What impact could the quarry have on the health of sea urchins and the
potential for future developments in the sea urchin industry?
Blasting: Could chemical residues from blasting seep into ground water
or marine environments? Will noise and vibrations associated with
blasting impact on the health of marine organisms? How will these
impacts affect the health of industries dependant on healthy marine
environments?
4) Real Estate: How will the quarry impact property values in the region? Will
real estate sales and new construction projects be affected? Will changes in
perceptions about quality of life impact potential life-style investors or influence
people’s decisions remain on Digby Neck and Islands?
5) Royalties: Rock is a non-renewable resource, similar to oil and gas, yet there
is no legal requirement for a company extracting that resource to compensate a
community with royalties; essentially a share of the profits. However, many
companies offer voluntary royalties or other forms of financial compensation to
communities as a way of demonstrating good corporate citizenship. What are
the specific plans of Bilcon Nova Scotia in this regard?
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6) Future Plans: Under Articles 315 of the North America Free Trade
Agreement, once a commitment is made by one country to sell a resource to
another, "the proportion of total export shipments of the specific good made
available to that party relative to total supply" must be sustained. How will this
influence plans for future expansions of basalt quarrying in Nova Scotia?
In closing, I would like to refer to the results of a broad public consultation
conducted a few years ago by the WVDA to determine how the communities of
Digby and Annapolis counties envision their future. We published a document
entitled “Vision 2000: Building our Future”, which summarized the results of these
consultations. This document contains the following statements, which reflect
the input of the community at large, and are part of a regional economic
development strategy:
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For the better part of this century, we have exported our natural resources,
our raw materials, to other points around the globe, where they have
made others wealthy.
The communities of the Western Valley region embrace the concept of
sustainable development at its most fundamental level; if we do not
practice positive stewardship of our environmental inheritance, we will
never build an economic future, for ourselves, or for our descendants.
Communities across the Western Valley region are united by a desire to
see future economic activity carried out in a way that protects, preserves
and promotes our ecological heritage.
The residents of our region wish to see environmental ethics and concepts
of sustainability incorporated into every decision, into every discussion
about our region's future. They also expect to see this commitment
articulated to the larger world in a forceful and effective manner.
We appreciate the time of the Joint Panel, and thank you for the opportunity to be
part of this public process.
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Appendix: Components of Nova Scotia GPI
Time Use
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Economic Value of Civic and Voluntary Work
Economic Value of Unpaid Housework and Child Care
Work Hours
Value of Leisure Time
Natural Capital
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Soils and Agriculture
Forests
Marine Environment/Fisheries
Energy
Environmental Quality
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sustainable Transportation
Ecological Footprint Analysis
Air Quality
Water Quality
Solid Waste
Socioeconomic
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Income Distribution
Debt, External Borrowing, and Capital Movements
Valuations of Durability
Composite Livelihood Security Index
Social Capital
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Population Health
Educational Attainment
Costs of Crime
Human Freedom Index
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