Farmed Salmon or Cheakamus River Toxic Spill?

Sea lice killing B.C. wild salmon

D.C. Reid
Times Colonist

Thursday, September 18, 2008

So you thought fish farm sea lice problems were restricted to pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago? Not so. In fact, the problem is vastly worse than we have been told. New studies from the U.S.A., Canada and Norway indicate lice and the diseases they carry are killing all five salmon species in B.C. and also herring.

You may recall Alexandra Morton was the biologist who set off alarm bells that fish farm sea lice resulted in a healthy 150,000 annual pink run from the Broughton Archipelago being reduced to virtually nothing. She is now in court trying to get the memorandum of understanding that DFO signed with the province to carry the can declared as invalid, and thus that DFO will have to step in -- if they lose -- and we have to wait many years for them to clean up the industry.

Morton's new research has begun to reveal that the lice and disease problem is huge in B.C. Her research indicates that sockeye smolts migrating up Johnstone Strait from the Fraser River have been infected with lethal numbers of infected lice as they swim through the Campbell River area. Little wonder this year's run of Fraser sockeye was one of the poorest on record -- and the problem will continue unless we do something.

[snip....]

............, fish farms attract fry with a sheen of fish chow and lights at night. Young coho eat the weakened salmon fry and become infected themselves.
From 2001 to 2003, 12,000,000 farmed Atlantic salmon died in B.C. from the infectious haematopoietic necrosis epidemic. The first problem was more than 15 years ago in B.C. Even Canada's highly regarded -- and DFO's own scientist -- Dick Beamish, has published research showing that when Atlantic salmon are removed wild salmon smolts thrive.


So what could be worse?


CN Derailment in the Cheakamus River Kills Half Million Salmon and Trout


The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigated this occurrence for the purpose of advancing transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

Railway Investigation ReportDerailmentCanadian NationalFreight Train A47151-05Mile 56.6, Squamish SubdivisionGaribaldi, British Columbia 05 August 2005
Report Number R05V0141



One of the findings in this disasterous spill is as follows:


TSB and the Cheekamus River Spill: Although Canadian National (CN) had prepared a Safety Integration Plan and provided informal training in DP setup and operations. However, in the absence of a formal risk assessment, CN resumed long DP train operations without adequate consideration of the value of retaining and using local knowledge and experience in the operation of long DP trains. This resulted in a lack of training and proper supervision that contributed to this derailment.


Synopsis:


A47151-05, proceeding northward from Squamish to Lillooet, British Columbia, derailed nine cars including one load of sodium hydroxide (UN 1824), also known as caustic soda, and eight empty cars at Mile 56.6 of the Squamish Subdivision near Garibaldi, British Columbia. Approximately 40 000 litres of the caustic soda spilled into the Cheakamus River, causing extensive environmental damage. There were no injuries.

[snip....]

3.3 Other Findings
This occurrence was the first of four similar derailments involving long, empty DP trains that occurred on the Squamish Subdivision between 05 August and 05 December 2005. While circumstances differed, the common feature of all four derailments was derailed trains stringlined to the low rail, or inside of sharp curves. The stringlining occurred due to high lateral forces creating a high L/V ratio, wheel lift and derailment.
The multi-agency response to the incident was well coordinated and effective.

© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada 2007 Cat. No. TU3-6/05-2E ISBN 978-0-662-46259-0


CN Rail case #49026 is back in North Vancouver Procincial Court September 24th to answer to Environmental charges as a result of this spill.

TSB and the Cheekamus River Spill

From Hansard

PRIVATIZATION AND VIABILITYOF B.C. RAIL

J. MacPhail: Let me put on record a letter from Ron East, a well-known Liberal activist in Prince George. I quote from him: "Mr. Premier, you promised you would not sell B.C. Rail, and we voted for you because we believed in you. No sooner were you elected than you started your campaign to deceive us into believing our rail company is a money-loser. Shame on you."Can the Minister of Transportation tell us why her party's own supporters are saying her government is deceiving them into believing B.C. Rail is a money-loser?

Hon. J. Reid: B.C. Rail is a vital transportation service for the north of this province. It's vital for the industries that are served by it. Transportation is one of their highest costs. We have industries from the north who take their product and put it on trucks and ship it into other provinces to put on rail. We have industries in the north of this province which have been saying that the service isn't sufficient for B.C. Rail because the cars aren't available. We have industries in the north of this province which have been complaining for many, many years that the operations of B.C. Rail are hindering their ability to be competitive.We've listened to that; we've listened to the communities that have concerns about the sustainability. We have looked at the public good that needs to be protected, which is the continued public ownership of the track, of the right-of-way and of the railbed, and we are looking for an operating partner for sustainability for long-term good for the communities and the industries of the north

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplementary question.

J. MacPhail: One has to listen very carefully to the new message box. It's true; the Minister of Transportation today didn't call it a money-loser. She's challenging their competitiveness, though.I guess the minister hasn't seen the new document. Let me just tell the minister about this. She can say anything her spin doctors tell her to, but what they're doing is privatizing a B.C. Rail company that not only is profitable but is highly competitive.The opposition today, just this morning, obtained brand-new…

[snip]

J. MacPhail: …internal B.C. Rail documents…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please, hon. members. Let us hear the question.

J. MacPhail: …showing the year-to-date financial results for B.C. Rail. The new report says that the profit margins for regional carriers remain above Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and any other class of railways, with B.C. Rail being the highest in the industry for their quarter profits and their year-to-date profits.Again to the Minister of Transportation: why is she saying that B.C. Rail is not competitive and is not efficient when, indeed, they have the highest productivity rate amongst all rail lines and they are the first rail line to have an operating margin of below 70 percent — better than any other rail company in North America? Why is she not telling that aspect of a rail line?

Hon. J. Reid: I'm very pleased the member has been able to recognize that under this government's leadership, B.C. Rail has taken a very aggressive approach on the freight rail side. We have concentrated on that part of the operation to cut the bleeding that was taking place. That was very difficult. There are still opportunities.I was in Prince George on Friday this past week, and at that time the people were saying that this needs to be sustainable in the long term. They said: "You know, we've got double shifts on the mills here. This isn't going to last. We have to make sure, with the variable trends in the forest industry and without the coal production for B.C. Rail, that we have sustainability in the long term." For that reason we're looking at the long-term picture, and we're going to make sure there is an operator there who's going to be able to run that operation for the long term.

J. MacPhail: Well, isn't the bar shifting every single time this minister's confronted with a new report about how well B.C. Rail is doing. We now know it's profitable; we now know it's competitive. She stands up with this new information and says: "Oh, but we're worried we can't sustain it." What do they do? What does this government do? A profitable, competitive publicly owned railway — and she wants to sell it off.We know that's not in her message box. According to this report that we've obtained just this morning…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please

J. MacPhail: …B.C. Rail has the highest profit margin of all regional carriers. In this year's third quarter alone B.C. Rail made a $21 million profit, and that's in American funds. In fact, they've got the highest year-to-date profits of any rail line.If the minister pushes ahead with her plans to sell B.C. Rail, British Columbians are going to lose a company that is making big profits and that is completely and most competitive. Again to the minister: given all this good news about B.C. Rail, why is she breaking a promise and selling one of North America's best-performing rail companies? Why is she breaking the promise?

Hon. J. Reid: It is a fact that B.C. Rail has a debt of over $500 million. It is a fact that that is part of….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. J. Reid: If this member understood business, if this member understood how to read a balance sheet, if this member understood….Interjections.Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, hon. members. Let us hear the answer.

Hon. J. Reid: If this member understood the necessity of being able to sustain and what that means, and what investment is required….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order.

Hon. J. Reid: If this member understood anything about the economy of the north and what's going on in the forest industry right now, this member would understand what sustainability means in the long term. Taking on an operating partner for B.C. Rail is the very best move to provide that sustainability, to make sure that cars are available, to change technologies to just-in-time delivery. Once again this member thinks that government is better at running businesses, but I would suggest the customers and communities will be better served by the operating partner.

At the end of Joy MacPhail's question in Question Period the minister said the following:

Hon. J. Reid: If this member understood anything about the economy of the north and what's going on in the forest industry right now, this member would understand what sustainability means in the long term. Taking on an operating partner for B.C. Rail is the very best move to provide that sustainability, to make sure
[ Page 7721 ] that cars are available, to change technologies to just-in-time delivery. Once again this member thinks that government is better at running businesses, but I would suggest the customers and communities will be better served by the operating partner.

So they give away our railway and then CN, I guess, institutes the just- in- time delivery technology. They increase the length of the trains on the BC Rail line and increase speed. There are some people that worked on this railway who should have either been listened to or consulted. They were not. The result of this ignoring long term employees who were in the know resulted in some disasterous and some not so disasterous derailments along this BC Rail line.

The most disasterous, I alledge, was the derailment in the Cheakamus River at the bridge which spilled thousands (best estimates were 43,000 litres)of gallons of toxic chemicals into the river causing the death of more than a half million salmon, Eagles that feed on them, and a host of other animals and birds in the watershed. Including 2 seals downstream at the Mamquam Channel, As well as the plantlife in the riverbed. That plantlife was wiped out 100%. The TSB (Transportation Safety Board) had the following to say about this disaster :

Although Canadian National (CN) had prepared a Safety Integration Plan and provided informal training in DP setup and operations. However, in the absence of a formal risk assessment, CN resumed long DP train operations without adequate consideration of the value of retaining and using local knowledge and experience in the operation of long DP trains. This resulted in a lack of training and proper supervision that contributed to this derailment.

The TSB Report can be found here
http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/rail/2005/r05v0141/r05v0141_sec3.asp


Case #49026 is scheduled for September 24 in North Vancouver Provincial Court.

NDP not Harper are "on your side"

I said elsewhere that the first party or leader that made an issue of the price gouging by the oil companies would get my vote. Jack Layton said it in TO on September 13th 2008 and his party now has my vote. Of course there was never any doubt that I wouldn't vote Liberal or Conservative. But the Marijuana party (who have no candidates in my riding yet) and the Green Party just lost out.



“If oil companies collude on prices they’ll be prosecuted.”


TORONTO – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton told over a thousand cheering supporters today that the “George Bush era is coming to an end and so is the Stephen Harper era!”

Taking aim at price-gouging, especially the current leaps in gasoline prices at the pump, Layton said “the endless rip-offs that suck dry the budgets of working families have got to stop – and when I’m elected Prime Minister, New Democrats will stop them.”

Layton blasted Prime Minister Harper for pouring billions of dollars in tax cuts into the pockets of already-rich and powerful corporations. Layton said “As Prime Minister, when it comes to taking on gouging at the pumps, I’ll watch your back.”

“It’s time for a Prime Minister who will start building a fair, prosperous, sustainable Canada, a Prime Minister who stands up for you.”

Why Did This Happen in the First Place?

Section 5 of the BC Labour Code reads as follows:




Prohibition against dismissals, etc., for exercising employee rights


5 (1) A person must not


(a) refuse to employ or refuse to continue to employ a person,
(b) threaten dismissal of or otherwise threaten a person,
(c) discriminate against or threaten to discriminate against a person with respect to employment or a term or condition of employment or membership in a trade union, or
(d) intimidate or coerce or impose a pecuniary or other penalty on a person,


because of a belief that the person may testify in a proceeding under this Code or because the person has made or is about to make a disclosure that may be required of the person in a proceeding under this Code or because the person has made an application, filed a complaint or otherwise exercised a right conferred by or under this Code or because the person has participated or is about to participate in a proceeding under this Code.
(2) If no collective agreement respecting a unit is in force and a complaint is filed with the board alleging that an employee in that unit has been discharged, suspended, transferred or laid off from employment or otherwise disciplined in contravention of this Code, the board must forthwith inquire into the matter and, if the complaint is not settled or withdrawn, the board must
(a) commence a hearing on the complaint within 3 days of its filing,
(b) promptly proceed with the hearing without interruption, except for any necessary adjournments, and
(c) render a decision on the complaint within 2 days of the completion of the hearing.



So why was this ever allowed to happen in the first place:

From http://www.globeandmail.com/ National Section
LABOUR

Migrant workers fired from B.C. greenhouse as union vote neared

WENDY STUECK
September 16, 2008

VANCOUVER -- Fourteen Mexican farm workers employed at an Abbotsford greenhouse were fired from their jobs and sent back to Mexico days before a union-certification vote, the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada said yesterday.

The workers were terminated late in the day on Sept. 5, a Friday, before being driven to the airport the next day in time to catch an afternoon flight to Mexico, the union said.
On Sept. 4, the UFCW had filed an application to represent 29 employees at the company, Floralia Plant Growers Ltd.
Workers were scheduled to hold a certification vote today. (Sept 16,2008)

A woman who answered the phone at the company late yesterday afternoon said in response to questions, "I can't tell you anything" before hanging up.
The union has filed a complaint with the British Columbia Labour Relations Board and asked the board to order the company to rehire the workers and pay for their flights back to Canada, said Local 1518 spokesman Andy Neufeld.
"We are currently before the labour board on this," Mr. Neufeld said, adding that the union believes the workers were sent back to Mexico in retaliation for union activities.
Hearings are scheduled for this week. [Snip........]

A June study of B.C. farm workers by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Simon Fraser University found farm workers are routinely exposed to pesticides and other chemicals; immigrant workers are regularly transported by farm labour contractors in vans that violate safety regulations; and health and safety standards are routinely violated, for example, by employers failing to provide adequate washroom facilities or water for hand-washing.
The union said the labour board has issued summonses for Floralia workers to appear before the board and taken steps to help the employees understand their rights.

Farm workers in BC can be hired under a Federal program called the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program started in the '70's and adopted in BC because the industry said it was having trouble hiring Canadians to do the job.(Gary E)

So what's wrong with this picture? Why were these workers fired?

It will be interesting to see what the company gives as a reason. My bet is that they will say either that they were no longer needed (in the middle of harvest season) or that they were lazy (which would be more true of some young domestic workers I know of).

I didn't do too much in depth searching but I haven't been able to find this article in the local MSM. I did find it in The Tyee.
After a Google search on the three main BC papers, I found nothing on this subject.

Please let me know if you spotted this article in the local media.