Hi Charles,
Enjoy your Blog(s).
Not sure if this is an issue you wish to tackle or even an issue that you are concerned about.
There has been a significant cut in environmental protection with Minister Blaney literally reducing wetland protection back to the dark ages a week ago. In a Province where we rely on forestry, fisheries, and agriculture that all depend one way or another on wetlands why is the province letting unmitigated environmental destruction.
In addition when wetlands provide natural flood mitigation why is Minister Blaney allowing subdivisions and housing to be built in wetlands, without a permit?
There are requirements for permits in the NB Clean Water Act and Clean Environment Act that she is ignoring. As far as I know she does not have unilateral power to ignore enacted legislation.
Not sure if this is a concern of yours. In my view the Minister of Environment is ignoring the better public good to pander to a few friends in business.
She has scrapped a new system that actually protected wetlands and despite her misinformation tour the real information should get out.
Under the system she has "scrapped": her words not mine: According to my conversations prior to the scrapping with Department of Environment Staff that were delivering the system prior to the Minister's removal.
1. forestry was not effected. Wetland studies we're NOT required for ANY forestry harvest activities in wetlands.
2. agriculture was not effect. Like forestry NO studies were required for any ongoing current agriculture practice in wetlands.
3. There was no reverse onus on land owners. The rules said if you had an existing lot before 2011 you had to contact the Department and they would determine the status without any wetland studies at ANY cost to the owner.
4. New subdivision development in wetland ares prone to flooding was nOT permitted ( a logical step to prevent future flooding in these areas, emo rescues and releife costs and a benefit to health and public safety).
The Minister is using the environment portfolio to (no suprise) vault her political career. She had every opportunity to clarify these points on her so called listening tour yet chose to listen to misinformation and not clarify a single thing.
Did you know Minister Blaney has used a DNR "wetlands map" that was never intended to be used as a tool for regulation?
Did you know that Minister Blaney has taken areas from the DNR wetland mapping invenmtories out? Including the peatland inventory that is by definition in the Clean Water Act wetlands?
Did you know that the Department is breaking it's own legislatiuon by using a map to designate what is regulated? The regulations are based upon a definition in the Act not a map.
Did you know this is a drastic change from the last 10 years of wetland regulation and a process followed for that period?
Did you know here actions have resulted in the loss of 100-150 full time environmental jobs used to guide environmentally sustainable development?
The EIA regulation is being ignored for wetlands? Is this against the law?
See the attached link for a parody of what is going on in the environment. In my limited opinion the Minister should be removed from office.
Like I said. Not sure if this is an issue you are interested in but it seems that government corruption, unethical behaviour, and political pandering is your thing to expose or investigate? If so, don't believe a thing I have written here. Do your own research, you will find all the same information out there once you start asking questions. You may have some stories here. At the very least you will be entertained by this link I found on the web.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11514885
cheers,
Frank.
