From Pollution Probe come these facts about Canada’s drinking water: 34 wells supplying 200 families in Fairvale, N.B., were condemned when high concentrations of illegally dumped tetrachloroethylene were found in them.
In Fredericton, N.B., a municipal well was closed when perchloroethylene was found.
260 chemical waste dumps (include the Love Canal) have been proved to leak into the Niagara River.
89 industrial plants in the US discharge their wastes into the river which supplies 4/5 of Lake Ontario’s water.
80 chemical contaminants are found in Toronto drinking water.
According to Kai Millyard, water Campaign Coordinator, Canada lags far behind Germany, France, Japan and other nations where special carbon filters and better disinfection techniques are being used to supply citizens with the cleanest water possible. Probe is waging a campaign for A Safe Drinking Water Act for Canada.
William Eckhardt, Hanna Newcombe and Anatol Rapoport participated in the Nov. 12-15 COPRED conference in Milwaukee, Wis. Bill, who was responsible for the organization of two panels at the conference: Bridging the Gaps between Peace Action, Education and Research,also presented a paper which is now available from the Bulletin.
Anatol Rapoport contributed thoughts on Action Research and Investigative Journalism,to his panel, the substance of which was drawn from a chapter on Peace Research from his to-be-published-in-1988 book, Approaches to the Study of Conflict.
Metta Spencer continues on COPRED’s Executive Committee through 1988.
30,000 Security Risks?
Solicitor General James Kelleher has announced that the counter-subversion branch of CSIS will be disbanded and its duties handed to other departments. Currently 30,000 people are targeted in unions, peace groups and other organizations. The Security Intelligence Review Committee (ch. Ron Atkey) expressed disbelief that so many people could pose a real national security threat in addition to those monitored by the counter-espionage and counter-terrorism departments. (The Toronto Star, Jim Brown, November 29)
The Nature Of Things November 25 on CBC
“Everyone has heard about the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. But how many are aware that last year more than 3000 nuclear accidents occurred in North America? They didn’t create life-threatening situations but surely it’s only a matter of time before one does. “There is the problem of what to do with the deadly radioactive waste that is produced by nuclear generating stations. So far, there is not a totally satisfactory method of disposing of the stuff. “David Suzuki asks, why is it that Ontario Hydro continues to build nuclear reactors at such a pace when many industrialized nations have either cut back their nuclear-energy programs or are phasing them out? “What makes the program so worthwhile is the integrity that Suzuki and its producers bring to it.” -Christopher Hume, The Toronto Star
David Suzuki hosted the Nov. 25 programme which, as Hume pointed out, “means a lot to him and to all of us.” Rosalie Bertell and Norman Rubin assisted.
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