The free well water testing kits given out by the province to residents impacted by the recent wildfires do not detect hydrocarbons, but there are options if anyone suspects that type of contamination. Hydrocarbons are a large group of compounds that include fossil fuels such as natural gas and petroleum. It can also include home heating oil. Signs of hydrocarbon contamination include odours or an oily sheen on water or soil. If this is detected, the province recommends that people contact an environmental consulting company and ask to speak to an environmental site professional.
Nova Scotia issues first blue-green algae alert for 2022
The provincial government has issued an alert for blue-green algae, the first of the season for Nova Scotia. Environment and Climate Change reported in a news release Saturday that a blue-green algae bloom was reported in a stream between Shubenacadie-Grand Lake and Fish Lake. The algae produces toxins that can cause illness in humans and be fatal to pets, according to Elizabeth Kennedy, director of the water branch.
Water Act contentious at environment debate
The Water Act, passed in the P.E.I. Legislature but not yet proclaimed, was one of the more divisive issues of the first leaders debate of the provincial election campaign.
More than 250 people packed into an auditorium at UPEI to listen to the leaders discuss environmental issues, at a forum organized by Island environmental groups.
Topics ranged from protecting soil quality, to watershed group funding, to increasing the number of protected areas on P.E.I., to promoting the Island's natural history.