Doug Chapman’s letter to the editor 2/25/2010 – Vancouver Sun
Re: Athletes’ village ‘greenest in North America,’ Feb. 17
I note that one of the factors taken into consideration in awarding the athletes’ village an environmental green certificate was habitat restoration.
Surely this does not include marine habitat in southeast False Creek. It is common local knowledge that every heavy rainfall event results in dangerously high E. coli levels in southeast False Creek. The area becomes a cesspool as a result of sewage discharges. Many kayakers have complained about the contamination giving them rashes on their arms.
In late December we sampled the marine sediment in the shallow waters of southeast False Creek. Lab analyses revealed dangerously high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. PCBs are banned chemical compounds that can cause skin lesions and severe liver damage. PAHs are carcinogenic, mutagenic toxins.
Should the False Creek Olympic Village community receive an environmental award when its marine habitat is contaminated with dangerous chemicals and feces?
Douglas Chapman
Fraser Riverkeeper,
Vancouver
Doug at sea
Riverkeeper Doug left Friday, August 14 from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island to make a multi-day investigatory trip looking at water pollution and other problems, such as fish farms. He headed south from the port, with board member Kari Siirala (whose boat they took) and volunteer Jim Christoff, and spent about a week on the water. The length of their trip, number of stops, and exact route was dependent on winds, spontaneity, and leads along the way.
Several islands dot the way, one group of islands being the Broughton Archipelago, in which there are numerous fish farms. This was one of Doug’s planned stops. The archipelago is traditional territory of the Kwicksutaineuk-ah-kwa-mish and Tsawataineuk, part of the Kwakwaka’wakw nations. Fish farms have been controversial in recent years due to the relationship between the farms and outbreaks of sea lice in wild species. Doug set out a few years ago to look for evidence of these lice during the stage at which the lice were swimming freely through water. Doug had no luck getting close enough to view the lice at that time, but since then, several studies have come out about sea lice and fish farms, and the topic remains controversial today along the Fraser and nearby waters.
As Doug says, this was not a strictly a patrol trip. They just wanted to get out and do what they love, sailing. But every time he and his fellow sailors are out on the water, they are looking for pollution and other threats.
Photo Updates:
Saturday, August 16
Fraser Riverkeeper Doug Chapman, one of Canada’s leading authorities on private prosecutions, hosted a series of workshops in Nova Scotia and PEI. Presented by East Coast Environmental Law, this workshop taught groups and citizens how to enforce environmental legislation through prosecution. July 27-28 – Annapolis Royal, NS July 28 – Halifax, NS July 31 – Charlottetown, PEI For more information, visit ECELAW’s website.
Doug said that despite some protests from local polluters, the speaker series went very well.
