SEPTEMBER 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
7
Government orders review of contaminated aquifer Residents blame dairy for high nitrates and water advisory in place since 2014
by PETER MITHAM SPALLUMCHEEN – BC’s new
government has appointed an independent expert to review how former Premier Christy Clark’s government addressed aquifer contamination in the North Okanagan. BC environment minister
George Heyman, who visited the Hullcar area several times in his capacity as environment critic while in opposition, announced the review on August 2. The same day, he appointed Calvin Sandborn of the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre a special advisor to the review panel. Sandborn is an outspoken critic of the previous government’s handling of the issue who believes agriculture is to blame. “Providing the residents of the Hullcar Valley with an innovative, new path forward is a priority for me,” Heyman said in a press release announcing the review. “Residents need to have faith that government is listening and will be taking action to protect water quality and safety in the region while ensuring agricultural interests are protected.” An inter-ministry working group established in
levels of nitrates … while at the same time identifying best practices for the agriculture industry and help them deal with the issue of agricultural waste management,” Heyman explained.
Dairies to blame?
However, the review may not be good news for the province’s agriculture sector. BC Dairy Association chair
Dave Taylor voiced support for the initiative in the province’s initial
A review this month of the province’s handling of aquifer contamination in the Hullcar Valley could lead to tougher rules for nutrient management at local dairies. CATHY GLOVER PHOTO
and create a plan going forward that’s reviewed by independent water experts, helped developed by independent water experts, and involves their input.”
Heyman announced on August 16 that Oliver
March 2016 to address the issue remains in place but it has repeatedly come under fire for being slow to act on an issue many local residents link to arrival and expansion of several dairy farms in the area, particularly the H.S. Jansen & Sons farm. Actions taken by the previous government faced
repeated criticism. BC’s privacy commissioner ordered government to disclose more information to residents, while pollution abatement orders against several farms were rescinded for lack of sufficient evidence. Heyman told Country Life in BC the new
government wants to ensure the inter-ministry group is the best approach to guide the aquifer’s restoration and long-term health. “There’s no plan to end the inter-ministry
working group at this point but this review will really provide direction to how ministries address this issue going forward. Obviously, we’ll get recommendations and decisions will be made,” he said. “We’re going to review everything done to date
Brandes, co-director of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies and a technical advisor to the province regarding the ongoing development and implementation of the Water Sustainability Act, will lead the review. He’s charged with delivering his report by the end of September.
Manure handling blamed
While the hydrology of the area isn’t well understood, many locals believe that manure handling at the Jansen farm is responsible for contamination of the Hullcar aquifer. The aquifer, via an antiquated distribution system which the former government has pledged to upgrade, supplies water to approximately 160 people in the Steele Springs Water District. The level of nitrates in the water has consistently been above 10 parts per million (ppm), the maximum that Canada’s drinking water guidelines consider safe, since early 2014. “We want to ensure that we can take the steps necessary to remediate the aquifer back to safe
announcement but he didn’t respond to Country Life in BC’s requests for an interview. While the province describes Sandborn as “an independent, respected expert,” he previously worked with local citizens who believe practices at the Jansen farm are responsible for the aquifer’s contamination. Speaking to CBC in February 2016, Sandborn expressed surprise
that the province couldn’t see a relationship between cattle farming above the aquifer and nitrate contamination of local water supplies. “We have a graph showing the connection
between cattle operations on that field, historically, being tied to nitrate levels in the water,” he told CBC. “We’ve given all those statistics to [the province] and hopefully, now they’ll be able to act.” Now that he’s been commissioned as an advisor to the government review, Sandborn has a chance to push for the changes he believes needs to happen. The Environmental Law Centre’s website, which states, “without proper nutrient management on a provincial scale, we will continue to have water quality problems in BC.” The centre has five key recommendations, the
majority aimed at tighter management of farm practices:
• place a cap on dairy cow density for farms that spread their manure on site;
• require nutrient management plans that limit manure applications to non-polluting levels;
• require adequate manure storage facilities; • support opportunities for alternative manure processing technologies; and
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