Proposed Digby Neck quarry divides community

A proposed quarry in the Digby Neck area of Nova Scotia is either an environmental disaster waiting to happen or an economic saviour, depending on who you talk to.

Bilcon of Nova Scotia, a subsidiary of Clayton Concrete, Block and Sand of New Jersey, is proposing to operate a basalt quarry at White's Point. It would involve quarrying rock out of about 120 hectares of a 150-hectare site over 50 years.

The basalt would be extracted by drilling and blasting, and then shipped to the United States. Annual production would be two million tonnes.

The Green Party of Nova Scotia is opposed to the quarry.

William Lang, deputy leader of the party, made a presentation last week to the joint federal-provincial panel reviewing the project.

Allowing an American-based company to ship two million tonnes of gravel a year for the next 50 years to the United States would be "unethical," he said.

"When 100 per cent of this material is being exported to a foreign country, and our province is receiving zero royalities from it, I think it is a totally different playing field than a local quarry mine that is there for Nova Scotians,"Lang said.

While the Green party is not opposed to all development in rural Nova Scotia, Lang said, projects should not hurt existing jobs in tourism, and the fishery and should be environmentally sustainable.

Quarry divides neighbours

Local resident June Swift, whose husband is a lobster fisherman, is worried about the environmental impact on local waters.

She made a presentation to the panel, but was nervous about doing so because the issue has divided her community.

"It's a shame because it pits neighbours against neighbours, and it shouldn't," she said.

Cindy Nesbitt supports the project because too many people have left the area to find work. She said the well-paying jobs at the quarry would prop up the area's failing economy.

Nesbitt and her husband operate a local service station, and she said they have paid a price for supporting the controversial project.

"We were boycotted for a period of time. I had my car keyed," she said.

Support for the quarry has grown, Nesbitt said, and she has a petition to prove it.

Local artists haven't signed the petition; they are opposed to the quarry, fearing it will destroy a picturesque part of the province.

Nora Robichaud, whomade a presentation to the panel on behalf of the Le Conseil des Arts de la baie, said artists and their work help attract tourists to the area.

"I mean, we choose to live here because of the scenery. I depict the bay very often," Robichaud said.

"Culture and art bring a lot of people, so it is important. You can't just let these big companies come and do what they want."

Bilcon argues the quarry will bring badlyneeded jobs to the area.

The review panel is expected to hold another week of hearings. It will then have 90 days to write a report and make recommendations to the provincial and federal environment ministers.