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Submissions relating to Applied Limnology vis-a-vis land planning/development
Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax (SWCSMH)
August 12, 2006 
Caution: The listings in this page are only a selection of our continuous submissions to the municipalities but these are among the significant ones. Further, many of our submissions to the former municipal units were made using a typewriter, hence it is cumbersome to include them here.
Narrative on water quality!
Contents:
Formal submissions to the Regional Planning process!
A selection of submissions to the Regional Council, HRM
Following documents are in PDF format 
:-
Year 2006:
- Request for a Council resolution to set up a pragmatic LAKES AUTHORITY per our proposal of year-2001; 11, 2006
- Bedford West Master Planning Strategy: Public hearing scheduled for June 20, 2006 (also incorporates Lake Carrying Capacity based on the national peer consensus CCME 2004 Policy on Phosphorus Management)
Year 2005:
- Strong plea to enact a Lawn Fertilizer Bylaw banning the use of phosphorus containing fertilizers (with a few exceptions) similar or superior to the year-2001 bylaw of the City of Minneapolis; a lot of years have been lost! May 16, 2005
- All studies relating to potential impacts on lakes and rivers should be conducted by a qualified limnologist; and all studies should also include the professional designations/credentials of all the participants! May 19, 2005
- Set up a civil service LAKES AUTHORITY in order to restore lakes, address public concerns, and related aspects
the Regional Plan will not address the scientific issues we have been appraising numerous Councils dating back to the 1980s! May 30, 2005
- Submission at the public hearing on the Morris-Russell Lakes Secondary Planning Strategy: March 22, 2005 (the attachments here are slightly modified). Amendment: Recommendations made here on the management objective based on phosphorus have been upgraded considerably to conform to the CCME Phosphorus Policy; see them in the web pages for Morris Lake, and Russell Lake
- DVD+R disks were submitted to the following during the first part of year-2005; these disks contain more scientific info than the CD+R disks submitted during year-2004; they also include 20 (twenty) out of our 323 half-hour television shows that we produced. The Tv shows feature scientists in varied disciplines, Government regulators, a professor in environmental engineering, and a world class pioneer in acid rain who discuss various environmental aspects in detail:
- Mayor's Office: Mayor Peter Kelly MBA, and EA, Deborah Chambers
- Councillors Krista Snow, Gloria McCluskey, and Andrew Younger
- Two sets to the Harbour East Community Council (HECC)
- Three sets to staff at the Regional Planning offices: Peter Duncan PEng, Maureen Ryan MCIP, and Project Manager, Carol Macomber MCIP
- EMS Department: Managers, Tony Blouin PhD, and John Sheppard PEng
Year 2004:
- CD+R disks containing a host of scientific info were submitted to the following at the HRM during the summer and Christmas of year-2004:
- Mayor Peter Kelly MBA, and present/former councillors: Steve Streatch, Krista Snow, John Cunningham, Gloria McCluskey, Andrew Younger, Jerry Blumenthal, Sue Uteck, Sheila Fougere, Debbie Hum, Linda Mosher, Stephen Adams, Brad Johns, Bob Harvey, Len Goucher, and Reg Rankin
Year 2001:
A selection of submissions to the Community Councils, HRM
Following are only a selection of our submissions to the boards; most submissions are lodged in the web pages of the relevant watersheds:-
The documents are in PDF format :-
Harbour East Community Council (HECC):
Year 2006:
- Lake Management- Predictive modelling with focus on phosphorus, an aspect ignored although the science was known for two whole decades (the international OECD final report in 1982 is a prime basis of the year-2004 CCMEs Phosphorus policy); January 10, 2006
A selection of submissions on lakes within HRM
Example lakes of concern:
A selection of submissions to municipalities comprising the HRM prior to amalgamation
City of Dartmouth:
- Submission to the planning strategy for Portland West, the Dartmouth City Council: 1993
Halifax County:
A selection of submissions to the NSEL (Nova Scotia Dept. of the Environment)
- Select dealings with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment & Labour (NSEL or NSDE)
- Our overview recommendations on Predictive TP/Cha Modelling and trophic analyses; letter d/May 22, 2002 to David Briggins, Manager, Water and Wastewater Division, Nova Scotia Dept. of Environment and Labour (NSEL)
- Our promotion of the Lake Carrying Capacity concepts with the NS Dept. of the Environment: 1996
A selection of submissions to watershed advisory boards of the HRM
Following are only a selection of our submissions to the boards (Bedford Watershed Advisory Board, and the Halifax Watershed Advisory Board):-
Bedford Watershed Advisory Board (BWAB) ... formerly, Bedford Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC):
- Letter d/February 17, 2004 re "Overview archives and associated events dating as far back as July-1987"
- Request to the Bedford Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) to mandate a Lake Carrying Capacity for Papermill Lake: July 27 and Sept. 15, 1996:
- Pursuant to the concerns expressed by some local stakeholders at Papermill Lake over the last decade together with our own scientific concerns, we had written the Bedford Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) during the 1990s requesting that they set a ethical lake carrying capacity as an yearly average TP (total phosphorus), yearly average chlorophyll a, and yearly peak chlorophyll a values. Usually setting all three as the maximum allowable values would be the most preferable, but as a compromise, TP is sufficient.
- The Bedford Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC) did indeed support us, and pursuant to their support, the North West Community Council (NWCC) was also in favour of our recommendation. But nothing has transpired on a pragmatic level to date!
- We had also made approximately four (4) presentations to the BWAC as well as to the Town of Bedford's full Council during the 1990s.
Halifax Watershed Advisory Board (HWAB):
We had made around fifty (50) formal submissions to the HWAB on which we were represented by various scientists and the academia until we resigned on June 14, 2005. We were also among the handful of founding members of the board when it originated as the Halifax County Watershed Advisory Board!
A selection of submissions are included below (all of the following documents are in PDF format ); Years 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005:-
Year 1998:
- For your info- measures to address most pollutants, not just siltation- Basic; December 17, 1998
Year 2000:
- Synopsis-3: Unit Loadings (Nonpoint and Point sources), and Bacteriological Contamination + some extracts from the Stormceptor handbooks; February 11, 2000
- The Model Forest Program: a multi-partnered Maritime Provinces venture- a significant "water quality" perspective and total relevance to urban and suburban development; March 01, 2000
- Aluminum- a major controversy! A critical summary based on some published and/or Federal literature; March 04, 2000
- `Power boats on shallow lakes'- future probability on Bennery Lake (also applies to all shallow lakes everywhere!); March 11, 2000
- A gaggle of geese ...... or maybe a glut: Cultural eutrophication of lakes and related bacterial problems; March 16, 2000
- Stormwater runoff from road pavements, automotive areas, and other NPS pollutants- Effects on Aquatic Communities; March 16, 2000
- Our recommendations w.r.t. the Western Common, HRM; May 17, 2000
- Our recommendations w.r.t. the Princes Lodge Master Plan Area: May 17, 2000
- Enlightening new Policy of NSDoE titled "Policy for the Accreditation of Laboratories"; June 22, 2000
- Pollutant Export (specifically TP, total phosphorus) from onsite septic systems via ground water on decadal time scales- justification of the 100-metre setback from Lakes for new subdivisions only (not for existing lots); June 23, 2000
- Treatment Levels in Sewage Treatment Plants (STP); June 26, 2000
- The proper scientific way an STP has to be assessed prior to (not after) an STP is approved; June 28, 2000
- Effects of Golf Course Construction and Operation on the Aquatic Environment; August 30, 2000
- SANDY LAKE, Sackville River watershed, Hammonds Plains- Disturbing degradation in the water quality as measured by the standard trophic status indicators during 1996-99; August 30, 2000
- Comments on the Prince's Lodge/Bedford South Master Plan for the Board meeting of October 18, 00 (Section# 3.5 of the September, 00 agenda carried over for consideration during the October, 00 Board meeting); October 09, 2000
- Glen Arbour- October 2000 agenda- Item 3.7; October 18, 2000
- Lake Carrying Capacities- Water Quality: Trophic Status----- examples from the long time leader, the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario; October 31, 2000
- More info about the CDS (Continuous Deflective Separation) in situ stormwater treatment unit; November, 08, 2000
Year 2001:
- Our two suggestions for the WAB meeting of February, 2001 w.r.t the HRM Comprehensive WRMP (Water Resources Management Policy); February 09, 2001
- Beaver Pond, Kinsac
.. insufficient background data and some significant data errors
. Project in relation to the Halifax Golf & Country Club; HRM application #DA-F&S/FEN-005-96-02/19; February 28, 2001
- All is not lost with a large new subdivisions with onsite systems
provided one spends the money and supports innovative systems and/or have greater setbacks from lakes than what NSDoE&L requires; March 04, 2001
- Managing Urban Stormwater Using Constructed Wetlands, Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Catchment Hydrology and Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Australia; April 03, 2001
- Paleolimnology: an important tool for effective ecosystem management; April 24, 2001
Year 2002:
Year 2004:
- CD+R disks containing a host of scientific info were submitted to the following during Christmas of year-2004:
- Present/former members, Chair, Wayne Stobo PhD; Vice Chair, Ellinor Williams MURP; Frank Hope; Barry Thomas PhD; Janis Rod PEng; Walter Regan; and Derrill Hynick PEng
Year 2005:
- DVD+R disks were submitted to the following during the first part of year-2005; these disks contain more scientific info than the CD+R disks submitted during year-2004; they also include 20 (twenty) out of our 323 half-hour television shows that we produced. The Tv shows feature scientists in varied disciplines, Government regulators, a professor in environmental engineering, and a world class pioneer in acid rain who discuss various environmental aspects in detail:
- Halifax Watershed Advisory Board: Legislative Assistant, Sheilagh Edmonds, and present/former members, Chair Wayne Stobo PhD; Janis Rod PEng; Walter Regan; and Derrill Hynick PEng
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