Causeways, sewage still top Petitcodiac “pollution” list

Riverkeeper Unveils 3rd Annual Top 10 List

(Moncton, January 31, 2005) – Causeways, sewage, the destruction of wetlands, abandoned dams and pesticides continued to harm the Petitcodiac River system in 2004, according to a report unveiled today by the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper.

The third annual exercise conducted by the Riverkeeper to identify the issues that have the greatest negative impact on the Petitcodiac River ecosystem, its “10 Worst Pollution Sources” list, is meant to educate the public on the most urgent environmental issues facing the watershed and encourage the parties responsible for the negative impacts to take corrective action.

The term ‘pollution source’ employed by Petitcodiac Riverkeeper in its report refers to an activity by individuals, corporations or public agencies that has caused or continues to cause a single or multiple negative impact on the water quality, the habitat and the ecological integrity of the Petitcodiac River system (the 3000 km2 Watershed and its tributaries that comprise the Petitcodiac River, Memramcook River and Shepody Bay).

Public agencies such as the Province of New Brunswick, the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission and the City of Moncton were signalled out again in the report for continuing to lead the pack of the region’s “worst polluters” in 2004.

The full report of the 10 Worst Pollution Sources of the Petitcodiac River system in 2004 can be found on the Riverkeeper’s web site (www.petitcodiac.org). The Top-10 list reads as follows:

In assessing the order of importance and the frequency in which the ‘polluters’ appear in the report, Petitcodiac Riverkeeper noted again that the five “worst polluters” of the Petitcodiac River ecosystem in 2004 were all public agencies:

• The Province of New Brunswick (no. 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9)
• The Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission (no. 2 and 7)
• The City of Moncton (no. 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10)
• The Town of Riverview (no. 7, 8, 9 and 10), and
• The City of Dieppe (no. 5, 7, 8 and 10)

“Public agencies (Province, sewerage commission, municipalities) still contribute the largest share of the deterioration taking place in our ecosystem”, says Petitcodiac Riverkeeper Daniel LeBlanc. “The day that they will take measures to eliminate their impacts on our watershed, 90 % of our environmental problems will be resolved in the Petitcodiac River system”, he added.

The Petitcodiac causeway was chosen as 2004’s Worst Pollution Source for its continued widespread impact on the entire ecosystem. The Greater Moncton Primary Treatment Plant, on the other hand, was designated as 2004’s second worst pollution source, citing the 50 to 70 million litres of primary treated effluent being discharged daily into the Petitcodiac River.

New on the list this year, appearing in fifth position, is the destruction of wetlands as a result of the construction of access roads through the Jonathan Creek (Province of New Brunswick – City of Moncton) and the Chartersville wetlands (City of Dieppe). “Over 90 percent of the Jonathan Creek wetland has been lost to development in the past 40 years,” says LeBlanc, “and half of what is left, approximately 20 acres, is set to be eliminated as a result of the new access leading to the Gunningsville Bridge. We’re losing some of our natural heritage in this watershed and it is going fast.”

Last week, the Riverkeeper also announced the 2004 recipient of the Petitcodiac River Award, which was given this year to the arts community, to recognise its important role towards restoring the Petitcodiac River ecosystem.

INFORMATION:

Daniel LeBlanc, Petitcodiac Riverkeeper
(506) 388-5337
www.petitcodiac.org