Description of the Sydney tar ponds in Nova Scotia and their impact on the surrounding area and it's residents.
In Nova Scotia resides the Sydney Tar Ponds, North America's largest hazardous waste site. Due to irresponsible management and disposal, accumulated toxins are now affecting environmental and human health. To date clean up and treatment of this area have proven to be difficult and slow going.
It has been estimated that the tar ponds may contain over 700,000 tons of toxic sludge. It is also a known fact that this sludge is mostly contaminated with PCB's. The sludge is contained in a tidal estuary, which unfortunately releases toxins to the ocean with each tide. The contamination doesn't end here, for a retired coal plant stands nearby. It is already a well-known fact that byproducts from coal plants pose a serious health risk to the environment. Just beyond the coal plant resides a dump which is known to release Mercury into the atmosphere. Just beyond these pollutant causing sites reside homes, schools, children's playgrounds and other recreational areas.
It has been said that when it rains in the area the puddles turn fluorescent green. As well the ground near the coal plant has been known to erupt into flames on a regular basis which are difficult to put out. There are underground pipes from the coal plant which apparently contain some very deadly chemicals. There is a brook that runs along Frederick Street which flows with black sludge and a toxic yellow accumulation of chemicals. Along this brook runs a fence with signs reading, "human health hazard, contaminated area, absolutely no trespassing".
It is not as if these people do not fear the health implications, but government officials have given them multiple assurances that the area is completely safe.
In 1998 tests were finally confirmed that the toxins had penetrated their living areas, although as yet the toxin levels have not been deemed harmful. Scientists and government officials continue to debate over how serious this affects the residents, even when statistics show significantly higher levels in causes of death and illness than anywhere else in Canada. Higher levels were evident in many types of cancers and other debilitating diseases. A couple of groups have formed, or, like the Sierra Group, have taken up cause for these people. Some headway has been made with the allocation of $40 million towards the cleanup of this waste. As well some families on Frederick Street have won victory in a long battle and have been relocated. Even with this progress, there are many people who still feel their concerns have not been addressed.
It should be noted that for nearly 20 years now fishing has been banned and before that swimming was banned in this area. This was due to the harmful chemicals that were flushed into the harbor during tides. Obviously this is evidence of a problem that has been brewing for many years, and the deterrent of inevitable lawsuits has resulted in the denial of possible health risks by local officials.
Theories on disposal of toxic waste have become a full-time effort for many government and industrial employees. As previously stated, treatment and disposal is not easily done. Many temporary or so-called bandaid solutions have already been undertaken, and the local residents are tiring with the lack of progress. There are many ways of taking care of toxic sludge, although when dealing with a situation of this size there is no one right answer. Some types of hazardous waste can be treated by breaking down the poisonous compounds into non-toxic waste. Some treated waste can later be used as fertilizer. Containment is always an option, although with a problem of this magnitude it may not be feasible. Unfortunately the horrendous mix of chemicals involved also poses a problem when considering cleanup. There have even been fears expressed regarding the possibility of explosion if they were to try and dismantle the underground pipes.
Due to the severity of this contamination, even once treatment has been established extensive monitoring of the quality of land, groundwater, and other environmental aspects will be required.
