If it walks like a duck............

In 2022 Annapolis Waterkeepers inquired of Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change about the continuing destruction of wetland at Dexter's Arlington Heights dump.  We had made a complaint in 2018 and now the former wetland was treeless, bulldozed and no longer a buffer between millions of tonnes of toxic waste and domestic wells in our small community.

The reply was the standard None-of-Your-Business from NSECC:

"I am unable to comment on the wetland at this time as the matter is currently before the courts.  Once we have laid charges, we are able to make recommendations on penalties, compensation, etc. however, the outcome of the case is determined by the courts." wrote Lori Skaine, Regional Director.

Now we have learned third hand that NSECC withdrew the charges in exchange for a $15,000 donation from Dexter to Ducks Unlimited.  So it was purely voluntary and was not a court decision.

What the Duck!?!?

Under business-friendly government, the dump became an experiment to determine the tolerance of rural communities for environmental marginalization.  The theory was that a small place just wouldn't have the resources to thwart the will of NSECC.  Think of Africville or Grand-Pre or Boat Harbour or the St. Mary's River.  Given a department devoted to secrecy, government's affinity for business interests, and a history of ducking responsibility, it was only a matter of time before NSECC laid an egg.

Dexter the eco-molester gets to violate the terms of their environmental approval, feathering their own nest with a tax-de-ducktible donation of a pittance!

This arrangement is too cozy.  That money doesn't belong to the Ducklings at NSECC.  It belongs to taxpayers and should go to ensure the health of the endangered community:

• Pulmonary exams because of long-term exposure to smoke
• Twice-yearly analysis of downslope wells
• Blood testing for nano-PFAS 
• Recovering expensive FOIPOP costs
• Uncensored posting of regular water analysis

$15,000 for a charity with over $100,000,000 in revenue and half a billion in assets.  What's down with that?  Here's the recipe for this dish.

• cut up one small community
• add a dash of Mercury and 2 tablespoons of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
• Fold in truck emissions.
• Bake until lifeless

The list of sins committed by Dexter and its predecessors and overlooked by NSECC is long:

• Accepting illegal autofluff by the tens of thousands of tonnes.
• A fire that burned for months
• never convening a citizen's advisory group
• a reliance on quack science
• Trucking waste hundreds of kilometres and the resulting pollution
• Perpetrating environmental homicide on endangered species

Stop winging it, Duckers!  Close the Ducking Fump!  Take back all that Hit from Shalifax and do it soon.  The ducks are on our side now.