Harrietsfield residents urge action on contaminated water

A group of residents in Harrietsfieldare grappling with well water that provincial officials say was contaminated by a local recycling plant, and are urging the Nova Scotia government to enforce a three-year-old cleanup order.

The group says too little is being done to fix the problem, which has left several homes with unsafe drinking water.

Melissa King said her well has so muchheavy metalthe water can't even be used for bathing or watering plants.

"This has just been a long, ongoing, very tiring, and frustrating battle,"she said.

The province's department of environment has told King not to drink her well water. Officials blame the problem on RDM Recycling Ltd., a construction and recycling business across the road.

Residents lobbied hard against the operation when it opened for business years ago, with 1,200 people signing a petition against it.

The facility was shut down in January when the Halifax Regional Municipality refused to license it, accusing the company of violating environmental laws.

RDM, a numbered company, and three peopleassociated with the operation were ordered 2010by thedepartment of environment to devise a plan to cleanup the contaminated wells and the site. One of the parties is appealing the order in court.

One local resident said much more needs to be done and argues the community is being neglected.

"The bottom line for me is the people in this community need safe drinking water and they need to be educated," Marlene Brown said.

"They cant just be passed water samples: This is whats in your water. Unless people go and do research, and a lot of research, they have no idea whats in the water."

Residents want Randy Delorey, the new environment minister,to enforce the ministerialorder to clean up the recycling site and make the water safe.

Calls to the company's agent were not returned.