Arctic adventure Dover Bay student earns educational experience. PAGE 21 Finger pickin’ Two artists team up for guitar show on Headliners’ stage. PAGE 29 Raiders survive Jr. football team concludes camp ahead of first game. PAGE 3
Nationals a tough test PAGE 7
www.nanaimobulletin.com
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012
Sewage leak closes shellfish harvesting
VOL. 24, NO. 40
PIRATES PRIMED
City signs on to make cuts to emissions
BY TOBY GORMAN THE NEWS BULLETIN
Several areas of Nanaimo shoreline are closed to bivalve shellfish harvesting after a malfunction at the Chase River pump station released raw sewage into the Nanaimo River Estuary Friday. The Re gional District of Nanaimo said an equipment malfunction during routine maintenance resulted in an overflow of wastewater into the estuary near the pump station, which is at the north end of Haliburton Street near the Island Highway. Raw sewage leaked for about two hours directly into the Chase River, which drains into the estuary. Sean DePol, manager of wastewater services for the RDN, said the faulty equipment was fixed and the overflow stopped, and that an earlier advisory for residents to avoid water contact in the area was lifted by Monday afternoon. “We solved the problem as quickly as possible and notified all the necessary agencies immediately,” said DePol. Fisheries and Oceans Canada responded by closing harvesting of all bivalve shellfish in Departure Bay, the northeastern portions of Newcastle and Protection islands, and the northwestern portion of Gabriola Island. Elysha Gordon, resource management biologist with DFO, said the closure could last up to three weeks. ◆ See ‘CLOSURE’ /6
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BY TOBY GORMAN THE NEWS BULLETIN
GREG SAKAKI/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Nanaimo Pirates infielders including Brady Rogers, left, Justin Clarkson and Brendan McCarthy celebrate the team’s playoff victory over the Victoria Eagles on Saturday at Serauxmen Stadium. The Hub City Paving Pirates are clear favourites heading into the B.C. Premier Baseball League championships, which will be held Friday (Aug. 3) through Sunday at the stadium. For the full story, please see page 29.
Re gional District of Nanaimo municipalities are teaming up to fight climate change and pursue goals of carbon emission reduction. Lantzville, Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach signed on separately to the province’s legally non-binding Climate Action Charter in an effort to protect the environment, but together, city officials say they can tackle the problem more efficiently. About ninety-five per cent of B.C. municipalities have signed up for the provincial program. Requirements under the charter include that municipalities become carbon neutral in 2012, measure and report community greenhouse gas emissions, and create energy-efficient communities. A city staff report says it is unlikely Nanaimo will ever cut emissions to zero and will need to buy carbon offsets in order to achieve its carbon neutral goals. The report says the city currently sets aside $175,000 annually for projects designed to conserve
“
We have an opportunity where we can use money in our own community.
energy or lower greenhouse gas emissions. That money will now be needed to buy offsets, which generally sell at $25 per tonne. “We’ re oblig ated to become carbon neutral and what we thought the impact of that would be that we would have to buy carbon offsets from somebody, like the Pacific Carbon Trust,” said Brian Clemens, the city’s director of finance. “But now we have an opportunity where instead we can use the money in our own community because the RDN took the initiative to create this regional approach.” Based on a 2008 study, Nanaimo is responsible for about 6,500 tonnes of emissions annually. ◆ See ‘NANAIMO’ /5
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