Tar Ponds of Whitney Pier

The "tar ponds" of Whitney Pier in Sydney, Nova Scotia, are considered the largest toxic waste site in Canada. For decades, this area was used for waste dumping from local steel mills, and its soil has been shown to contain high levels of lead, arsenic and other chemicals. Residents of the neighbourhood report a high incidence of cancers, chronic illnesses leading to long-term disability, and birth defects from exposure to environmental toxins. And yet little has thus far been done to clean up the area or relocate its residents.

The Sierra Club of Canada, an environmental group headed by Elizabeth May, is calling for a full parliamentary inquiry into the risks to the health of people living in Whitney Pier. The organization is furious that a federally commissioned study recently denied the need to move residents away from the area. In a press release, May claimed that the assessment was biased and "would not withstand independent peer review."

A team of university scientists has already begun a study to investigate the impact that the toxic chemicals have had on fertility, miscarriage and birth defects. Eric Brophy, a member of the Joint Action Group, which is working to clean up pollution in the Sydney area, says his wife had six miscarriages. She grew up near the tar ponds -- and died of cancer five years ago.

Nova Scotia has the highest rates of cancer in Canada, and the Cape Breton region has the province’s highest rates of lung, breast and stomach cancers. For more information, call the Sierra Club of Canada at (416) 241-4611 or visit www.sierraclub.ca.