By Tina Comeau
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
The Town of Yarmouth is exploring what impact a reported new mink operation in Digby County could have on the town’s Lake George water supply.
Councillor Ken Langille, the chair of the town’s water utility, says the issue was brought to his attention by a Digby County resident who said the Municipality of Clare had granted a permit for the construction of a mink ranch. Langille said the location is “approximately six kilometres as the crow flies” from Lake George.
Langille said last Friday they hadn’t yet discussed the matter in any detail with the Municipality of Clare. But given pollution that’s occurred in other lakes, and with people pointing fingers at mink farm operations as a potential culprit, Langille said it is an issue that can’t be ignored.
“There is some great concern if it is going to be where it is said to be going,” he said, noting the location is on a hill. The town would want to ensure there is no runoff that could enter any water system that feeds into Lake George. Langille said town staff doesn’t think a mink operation in that location would pose any immediate danger.
“But maybe 10 or 15 years down the road we’d be looking at some serious, serious issues,” Langille said. The matter will come up for discussion during a 2 p.m. June 7 meeting of the town’s water utility.
The province has been working on regulations that will govern mink farms, but the regulations have yet to be finalized. Existing operations will have three years to comply. It is assumed new operations will comply from the get-go.
The Tri-County Watershed Protection Association has also raised concern over any potential impact to the town’s water supply at Lake George. The group says it has yet to have any input on the draft regulations. It also says at a June 2010 public meeting the group was assured by the agriculture minister that there wouldn’t be any new licences for mink farms until the regulations were in place.
Asked in a recent Vanguard interview if he would consider a moratorium on mink operations until the regulations are in place, Agriculture Minister John MacDonell had said no.
“I expect the regulations are going to be in place in June and when they are in place they’ll need permission from the department to even have permission to set up a farm,” he said, saying the expectation is a new farm will be set up in accordance with the regulations.
Langille, meanwhile, said the town will continue to look into this situation. On face value, he said, there is concern.
“Never in your wildest dreams would you ever think that they would be constructing something that would be a possible threat to the water supply of the Town of Yarmouth,” he said. “Like I said, it’s not like something is going to happen overnight. Our staff initially feels this is something that would affect us maybe 10 or 15 years down the road.”
But Langille points out if Lake George were ever polluted, as of now there is no backup plan involving another lake.
