FIND THE MOST UPDATED INFORMATION AND STATEMENT ON THE DARTMOUTH COVE INFILL PROJECT HERE: https://darrenfisher.ca/darren-fisher-on-dartmouth-cove-infill-dartmouth-shouldnt-be-a-dumping-ground-for-someones-fill/
2022-05-19
Hi folks, there is another infill project pending for Dartmouth Cove.
https://nwar-rlen.tc.gc.ca/files-dossiers/2022-206446
This is a water lot that predates Confederation. Unfortunately, a regulatory gap exists between all orders of government on these pre-Confederation water lots, and as we are seeing, more and more lot owners are infilling.
Federally, infilling projects only require approval through the Navigation Protection Program (Canadian Navigable Waters Act), focusing on whether the infill would impede navigability, and if the project could impact fish habitat in the watercourse, it would require approval through the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Federal regulations do not deal with environmental or planning/developing of infilling these lots. And as it stands now, Members of Parliament do not have the ability to intervene with this approval process.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:
I encourage folks to submit their concerns to the open consultation through Transport Canada. It is posted publicly, and the commenting period is currently open until June 10, 2022, 4:00 a.m. EDT.
https://nwar-rlen.tc.gc.ca/files-dossiers/2022-206446
MY THOUGHTS:
Dartmouth shouldn’t be a dumping ground for someone’s fill. From what I am seeing, there doesn’t seem to be a plan in place from the proponent, other than dumping pyritic slate and quarry rock into Dartmouth Cove over multiple years.
Although Members of Parliament are unable to interfere with the approval process, I’m writing to the Minister of Transport, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to call for a review on infilling to make sure our waterways are better protected.
With increased development across HRM, we will see an increased need to sequester pyritic slate, and all orders of government should be at the table to come up with a proper plan and a solution for this fill, that makes sense for our communities.
