The Common Sense Canadian: “Captured” environmental regulator thinks of Kitimat smelter owner Rio Tinto as “client”

Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kitimat smelter (Rio Tinto Alcan/Canada Newswire) Rweprinted with permission from DeSmog Canada. Move over Duffy diaries. There’s a new black book in town. That’s the detailed work journal of B.C. Ministry of Environment senior official Frazer McKenzie, which recounts conversations between ministry officials and Rio Tinto Alcan while

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The Common Sense Canadian: Mount Polley: Interior Health issues new warning against drinking Quesnel Lake water

Debris pouring into Quesnel Lake (Photo: Farhan Umedaly, Vovo Productions / Desmog.ca) An advisory from Interior Health yesterday raises fresh questions about the quality of drinking water from Quensnel Lake following the Mount Polley tailings dam breach. “Although test results continue to show that water sourced from Quesnel Lake is safe to

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The Common Sense Canadian: Is Mount Polley making people sick? Anecdotal clues, questions mount

Hazeltine Creek following Mount Polley Mine’s tailings dam breach (Photo: Chris Blake) A series of anecdotal reports of illness from suffered by people in close proximity to the Mount Polley Mine tailings dam breach is prompting a local First Nation to push the premier for a study of potential airborne contaminants – and calls for an independent inquiry

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The Common Sense Canadian: RiverBlue doc asks: How dirty are your blue jeans?

“How dirty are your blue jeans?” That’s the question posed by the forthcoming, Vancouver-produced documentary RiverBlue. The film examines the pollution produced by the blue jean manufacturing and tannery sectors, also exploring the latest technologies and cutting-edge solutions to the problem. Jeans are dyed with harmful chemicals (RiverBlue) From China’s Pearl River

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The Common Sense Canadian: Nanaimo council rejects incinerator: “We won’t be Vancouver’s garbage dump”

Council chambers were overflowing with incinerator opponents last night (Photo: Trish Kuziek/Facebook) Read this April 15 story from the Nanaimo Daily News on city council’s unanimous rejection of a proposed waste incinerator to burn Metro Vancouver’s garbage at Duke Point. Nanaimo council voted unanimously Monday to rule out the city’s support for a proposed

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The Common Sense Canadian: Residents of Peace River, AB wrestle with authorities over bitumen fumes

Fumes from these bitumen storage tanks are allegedly driving Alberta families from their homes. Read this Feb. 20th VICE article that provides a local look inside our Jan. 28th Reported Elsewhere story about the state of northern Alberta families vacating their homes from bitumen fumes emitted by Baytex Energy storage tanks. The Labrecques,

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