Article from Vancouver Indymedia - http://www.vancouver.indymedia.org/

Weyerhaeuser polluting Nanaimo drinking-watershed 
by Ingmar Lee 1:05am Sun Dec 3 '00 
address: 1305A Bond St., Victoria, BC V8S-1C3 phone: (250) 920-9906 ingmarlee@hotmail.com 

Weyerhaeuser owns the Nanaimo drinking-water sanctuary, which supplies 72,000 residents. A recent 'Freedom of Information' request to the City of Nanaimo, which jointly manages the watershed with Weyerhaeuser has revealed that the giant U.S. company has spread 44 tons of chemical fertilizers on 1000 hectares of clearcuts since 1998.  

Huge amounts of industrial chemical fertilizers are being spread in our forests. Even inside community drinking water sanctuaries! 

Recently I received a FOI package from the Greater Nanaimo Water District, GNWD. It shows that 44 tons of chemical fertilizers were spread within the City drinking watershed since 1998 on 1000 hectares of clearcuts, without the city's notice. 

The City of Nanaimo and Weyerhaeuser jointly manage the area, but Weyerhaeuser did not inform the GNWD about the fertilizer usage, and the City did not become aware of the program until February this year. Tests of the fertilizer ingredients were not even known until April, although our own tests of the fertilizer in February found it laced with cadmium and other carcinogenic heavy metals. 

Weyerhaeuser also neglected to inform the Auditor General of BC about the massive fertilization inside the Nanaimo drinking watershed. He examined the area as one of 8 case studies in his 1998-99 report "Protecting Drinking-Water Sources." References to drinking-water pollution from fertilizer use are otherwise peppered throughout the report. 

A recent news-flurry in Nanaimo newspapers has resulted in a barrage of phone calls from concerned citizens, so the GNWD has commissioned a research scientist, Dr. Robert Lockhart to do a study on the problem for $4500. Thats right, Dr. Lockhart will make a report for $4500, and the GNWD will make important drinking-water management descisions based on this report. 

Dr. Lockhart works for BC Research Inc. which is involved with tree plantation biotechnology, or "agro-forestry" which also involves massive use of chemicals as growth promoters and retardants of trees and other plants in forestry operations. The enclosed letter is where I'm at with this so far. 

Listen to CFUV radio, Dec 11th @ 5 o'clock 

Sincerely, Ingmar 

Attn. Nelson Bennett 
Nanaimo Daily News Nov. 30, 2000 
B1-2575 McCullough Rd., 
Nanaimo BC, 
V9S 5W5 

To the editor, 

Apparently the City of Nanaimo has hired a scientist, Dr. Robert Lockhart, to make recommendations concerning Weyerhaeuser's massive plantation fertilization, road building and logging program inside the City's drinking water sanctuary. While I commend the City for this action, I'm not satisfied that a meaningful report upon which to base important drinking water management decisions can be produced for $4500. 

Dr. Lockhart works for BC Research Inc., which has made large investments in plantation biotechnology, or "agro-forestry," which goes hand in hand with massive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In 1997 BC Research Inc. " spun out a world leader in plant biotechnology for enhanced reforestation by licensing technology to the company and financing it. In 1999, this company was amalgamated with another and refinanced to become Cellfor Inc.(Brentwood Bay), in which BC Research Inc. holds a substantial interest," according to their website. (http://www.bcresearch.com/forestry/molecular.htm)

I suggest that the City examine the recommendations of the British Columbia Medical Association which influenced the City of Vancouver to ban logging and all water-degrading activities in all Vancouver drinking water supply areas. Dr. Jim Lane, president of the BCMA wrote Oct. 15, 1998 to then Chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, George Puil, and then Forests Minister Dave Zirnhelt; "We are concerned that the independent study of all industrial practices in the three Greater Vancouver watersheds and the forest management practices of the GVRD called for in our 1991 resolution has never been carried out. We are also concerned that the previous logging and road building practices in the watersheds have significantly reduced the quality of Greater Vancouver's water supply and, accordingly, we call upon both of you to implement a formal complete moratorium on road building and logging in the Greater Vancouver Watersheds until such a study has been carried out. After the study has been completed the situation should be further considered in light of whatever recommendations are made in it." A similar letter was written to Health Minister Penny Priddy which warned; "We are particularly concerned about land use conflicts in watersheds and call upon you to ensure that water quality is a paramount consideration in the making of land use decisions within watersheds supplying water for human consumption." 

Clearly, this has resulted in the strictest possible management for pure drinking water as the paramount concern in Vancouver's drinking water sanctuaries. I see no reason why the people of Nanaimo, and other island communities with privately owned watersheds should have to accept a lesser standard for the management of their drinking water supply. 

Sincerely, Ingmar Lee