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#B.C.Floods; #evacuationorders; Cawston, B.C., Apr 30 (Canadian-Media): Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen had been forced to issue a local state of emergency due to flooding near Cawston, British Columbia (B.C.), media reports said. Higher temperatures had reportedly caused the melting of the ice across most of B.C., giving resulting floodings and the consequent evacuation of properties across the province. With grounds already saturated with flooding waters potential rainfall in various regions will likely make matters worse, said the emergency officials. The provincial government issued a written statement urging the public to be prepared for localized flooding instructing them to stay away from river and lake shorelines; to avoid driving through flood water, protect homes with sandbags and by moving equipment to higher ground and to be aware of sudden changes with water color or levels, which could indicate a problem upstream. The threat of flooding has prompted officials to declare a local state of emergency for the Tulameen area near Princeton, B.C.  Floods in B.C. Most of the flooding is reportedly caused by the Otter Lake at the northern tip of the town, where there is a mix of recreational and residential properties. The district has also issued local state of emergency for Cawston, near Keremeos, also because of the threat of flooding. The Cariboo Regional District has declared a state of local emergency for some areas in the Nazko Valley region because of immediate danger from flooding. The district said it has issued an evacuation order for 74 properties in the Nazko Valley region. Affected residents should register at the reception centre in the Quesnel Recreation Centre at 500 North Star Road, which will be open until 10:00 p.m. A slope above the homes was reportedly starting to slide down, threatening properties. Geotechnical engineers were monitoring the scope, People are urged to avoid the area due to the hazard of the unstable, water-logged slope. Self-serve sand and sandbags are available at 15 locations and can be found using this map.Warm weather in B.C. prompts flooding, evacuation orders. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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#EnvironmentandClimateChangeCanada, Denmark, #Netherlands, #Toxecology, #EnvironmentalConsultingLtd, #Sweden, #California, #TonyBernardo, #CanadianEnvironmentalProtectionAct, #MarkJohnson Ottawa, Apr 29 (Canadian-Media): According to two studies released recently by Environment and Climate Change Canada linked the lead contamination in environment to discarded bullets, sinkers, jigs, media reports said.  Environment and Climate Change Canada/Facebook "Most lead used in ammunition is lost to the environment," says one of the two reports, commissioned from Toxecology - Environmental Consulting Ltd. "The popularity of shooting sports has grown over the past 5 years and this trend is expected to continue, hence increased uses and releases of lead via ammunition are expected over the next 10 years." Lead ammunition had been banned by Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden and California is in the process of doing so. Use of lead in fishing gear had also been curbed by some jurisdictions. Canadian government, over many years, had reportedly removed lead in gasoline, paints and food cans which, subsequently had led to the significant drop in levels of lead found in the air and in blood samples. In March, the Liberal government had tabled gun-control legislation – Bill C-71 – which was opposed by gun groups. "The only purpose of this is to set up more anti-gun obstacles," Tony Bernardo, head of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, said in an interview. "That's what it's designed to do." Lead-free ammunition is available, but it's reportedly more expensive than the traditional product. The authors of the study also warned that gun owners will oppose any move to replace the lead in ammunition with other metals, such as steel. Use of lead ammunition by hunters shooting migratory waterfowl had been banned since the 1990s. But several previous attempts by the federal government to eliminate the highly toxic metal from all ammunition have failed, largely because of opposition from gun owners. Tony Bernardo, head of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, describing a federal government report on lead in ammunition. Both Toxecology reports were commissioned in 2016 to update government estimates of the amount of lead entering the environment from hunting and fishing.  Canadian Shooting Sports Association/Facebook "We will draw on the studies' findings, along with feedback received from stakeholders, including provinces, territories and Indigenous groups, to develop an approach to encourage lead-free ammunition and sinkers and jigs in Canada," Mark Johnson, spokesman for Environment and Climate Change Canada said The department recently sent out emails and letters to more than 1,500 stakeholders, including hunters and anglers, asking for feedback by June 1. #earthquakemagnitude, #Quebec, #Canada, #EarthquakesCanada, #epicentre Ottawa, Apr 18 (Canadian-Media): Quebec region norteast of Maniwaki centred near Ferme-Neuveon, felt a minor earthquake of magnitude 3.5, Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., reported by Earthquake Canada, media reports said.  Earthquakes Canada/Facebook The magnitude of the quake 3.5, added Earthquakes Canada, which was on the lower range and rarely causes damage. Its epicentre was about 12 kilometres west of Ferme-Neuve, Que., near the Baskatong Reservoir and Montagne du Diable park. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) #Canada, #America, #China, #Halifax, #RecyclingCostIncrease, #DavidBiderman, #SolidWasteAssociationofNorthAmerica Ottawa, Apr 01 (IBNS): China's decision last year to crack down on foreign waste is likely to increase in future for Canadian and American municipalities for their recyclable material after, media reports said. China, the world's largest manufacturer had been reluctant in accepting imported material due to significant increase in generation of its own recyclables compared to 10 years back, David Biderman, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America reportedly said.  David Biderman/Facebook China also had been reportedly complaining of the poor quality material that it had been receiving. "There's a lot of garbage mixed up, occasionally, with those bales of plastic, paper and metal that are going over to China," Biderman told CBC News during an interview in his office in Silver Spring, Md. "And so China is interested in stopping it from becoming the dumping ground for Western material." But Canadian and American companies were more concerned because Chinese companies had stopped accepting foreign recycling materials many months before China's ban to accept recyclable materials was not effective till Dec. 31, 2017. Chinese companies had still reportedly been accepting some paper, but as of Mar 1, China insisted on cleaner materials with a contamination rate of no more than 0.5 percent. Biderman said that this change will come at a cost and added, "It's possible to do, but it takes a serious investment. It increases the cost, and I think ultimately, Canadians and Americans are likely to pay more for recycling in the future as a result of this activity." In the meantime, recyclable materials some North American companies this year were reportedly being sent to Asia at lower prices which resulted in a loss to Canadian municipalities. Some Canadian cities not knowing where to send their recyclables had reportedly started stockpiling added flattened cardboard and crushed plastic. But plastics such as plastic shopping bags, bread bags and the wrapping on toilet paper had been posing major problem, Colchester County, Nova Scotia which had earlier been sending 100 percent of its film plastics, amounting to around 600 tonnes per year to China, had been forced to stockpile 450 tonnes and to store hundreds of bales of it outside. But there was a great concern of degradation of collected material lying outside, which could make the material unfit for recycling, In that case, Wamboldt said, burying of collected recyclable material reportedly in a landfill was the only option left. "We certainly don't want to be putting material in the landfill," he was quoted to state. Colchester would have to get a special permit from Nova Scotia where it was illegal to dump plastics in a landfill. Halifax, which had been shipping 80 percent of its recyclables to China, had reportedly requested and received permit, and has since found new markets for its material These challenges have resulted in British Columbia (B.C.)'s model -- of getting the plastics processed in the province, and having producers to pay -- gaining popularity. "Retailers, manufacturers, quick-service restaurants and others actually have to pay for the packaging they put in the residential system, so they pay fees to Recycle BC, and we use that to run a province-wide system," explained Allen Langdon, managing director of Recycle BC. B.C. which had reportedly found new markets for its paper, had to suffer much revenue loss. Recycle BC had reportedly been receiving roughly $80 a tonne for mixed paper as opposed to the present market price of zero. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) |
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