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Date: Thursday, March 29, 2001 6:11 PM By Linda Roberts There was an initial meeting of this committee today with representation from community/interest groups. The following is the text of the submission I made on behalf of CREEK. My name is Linda Roberts and I represent CREEK (Cressy Region Environmental Evaluation Ko-alition). We are a group of residents concerned about the water and the environment in Prince Edward County. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to present our concerns to you today. Prince Edward County is, I'm sure we all agree, one of the most beautiful areas of Ontario. The citizens of the county have capitalized on that beauty to make it one of the most sought after tourist attractions in the province. It boasts talented artists, antique shops, popular recreation areas, marinas, apple orchards, fisheries, wineries, bird watching, traditional farms and rustic appeal. It also attracts a large number of retirees. As your committee examines the future in terms of growth and development, we ask you to consider the harm, not only to the environment but also to tourism and property values, caused by Intensive Livestock Operations. Intensive feed production involves the use of artificial fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides, the loss of meadows and the removal of trees, hedges, ditches and field margins. These farming practices damage wildlife habitat and reduce bio-diversity. A pig farm with 3600 animals produces as much excrement as a city of 15,000. Hog manure can carry 25 diseases and is so rich in phosphorus that it needs an extremely large land base for proper application. When phosphorus runs off into surface water it causes algae buildup and other pollution problems. In 1996 north carolina instituted a free drinking-water well testing program for nitrates in the wells of people living adjacent to hog operations; the testing was begun after several drinking well located near swine operations were found to have nitrate levels which greatly exceeded the federal drinking water standard. Contaminants from manure can enter surface water bodies in discharge from tile drains. Contamination of drinking water with pathogenic bacteria, viruses or protozoa can have harmful, even fatal, health effects. Health threats include blue baby syndrome, the disruption of endocrine production, not to mention death from the ingestion of e-coli and fecal coliform. In December, a test taken of water flowing into lake Ontario following an application of pig manure in our area showed an e-coli count of 1500 and a fecal coliform count of 7900. By the way, in that area is a designated "provincially significant environmentally protected wetlands." 35 million gallons of spilled animal waste killed 10 million fish in North Carolina in 1995. In 1996, more than 40 animal waste spills killed 670,000 fish in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri. Swine manure has a high biological oxygen demand and can cause asphyxiation of fish. Then of course there is the odour! If you have been in an area immediately after the spraying of pig manure, then you know how completely overpowering and noxious it is. Studies have shown that there is a statistically significant increase in chronic respiratory diseases reported with people who live near large animal factories; dust from these operations has been linked to aggravation of asthma, damage to lungs, and as a carrier for viruses. Other conditions include headache, runny nose, sore throat, excessive coughing, diarrhoea, and burning eyes. Over 400 compounds have been found in the air, manure, and lagoons on hog farms. The compounds include acids, alcohols, aldehydes, amides, amines, aromatics, esters, ethers, inorganic gases, hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, ketones, nitriles, nitrogen heterocycles, phenols, sulfides, mercapatans and steroids (Schiffman, 1996). Last August after a spraying, tourists who had pulled into Prinyer's Cove with their boats turned around and left immediately. Residents, and their guests, had to depart the area. A real estate broker in Erinsville Ontario pointed out that properties in the vicinity of a factory farm lose 30-50% of their value. In fact, I have a report here about the Alberta municipal government board reducing property tax assessments by 50% for homes within a 2 mile radius of an intensive livestock operation. Because of all of the above, creek requests that this committee not consider the development of intensive livestock operations in Prince Edward County. We also request that a recommendation be made to council to reopen and amend the nutrient management bylaw, and that such bylaw should:
Thank you once again for giving me this opportunity. I leave you with one thought in terms of Prince Edward County: Wine, not swine |