Middle Sackville Landfill

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Middle Sackville Landfill

Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax (SWCSMH)

Source: Archives of the Sackville Rivers Advisory Board (SRAB), an adhoc committee advising the Halifax County Municipality until around 1990-91 at which time it was absorbed into the newly created and independant scientific group, the Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax; this happened as a result of the lack of support from the County; the County had refused any logistic support inspite of desperate pleas to Valerie Spencer MCIP, then Manager of the County Planning Department! As a result, the activities of the `SRAB' were assumed by the limnological society, `SWCSMH', as far as pragmatic monitoring was concerned as opposed to `simple advising'!

The press release was by myself, Shalom M. Mandaville; August 15, 1988
Judy Myrden of the Herald wrote a superb article; March 16, 1989
Daily News reporter, Lionel Ward; March 20, 1989
Worthwhile analyses by Dr. Farmer of the Federal DFO; April 27, 1989
Appeal to the Metro Authority; September 21, 1990
Characterization of the Chemical Constituents and Toxicity to Aquatic Organisms
The grand finale! The NS Dept. of Environment imposes a major ministerial order on the Metro Authority

The press release was by myself, Shalom M. Mandaville; August 15, 1988

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Judy Myrden of the Herald wrote a superb article; March 16, 1989

Andy Cameron changed his opinion quickly from the article of March 16, 1989 to the article of March 20, 1989

Subsequently, I was informed by Dr. John Underwood, formerly of the Environment Department, that Andy Cameron was severely reprimanded by his Director, and that was the reason for the contradictory statements of Mr. Cameron!

Worthwhile analyses by Dr. Farmer of the Federal DFO

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I wrote the following letter to the Metro Authority, but it was never responded to, alas!

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Characterization of the Chemical Constituents and Toxicity to Aquatic Organisms (part of the paper)

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The grand finale!

The Deputy Minister of the Environment Department at the time, Mr. Wayne Grady, requested Prof. Dandopadhyay Thirumurthy PhD PEng of the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) to conduct an independant study on the landfill. The outcome was a student graduate thesis, and it further proved what I stated to the media all along (pers. comm. Thirumurthy).

Hence, the Federal DFO was wrong in (indirectly) stating that the landfill had no negative impacts on the river; if anything they claimed that it helped to increase the pH of the Sackville River below the landfill! But from the pH aspects, yes, the DFO was correct.

As a result of the conclusive thesis conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dan Thirumurthy, the Minister of the Environment Department, did indeed IMPOSE A MINISTERIAL ORDER ON THE METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY which required a series of aggressive improvements which I believe were made during the latter part of 1990s though I am not at all sure!!

I write all this since some Sackville residents as well as a few present and past politicians may have forgotten all the history based on certain recent statements around the neighbourhood; further most of them were not involved, especially, in the scientific aspects! It is important to state facts for the future generations and I thank the Almighty Lord for giving me the wisdom and the foresight in keeping atleast some of the older articles and letters.

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