Opposition

I am a current landowner of several hundred acres. My property was intended as a retirement investment, and with the proposed new plant adjacent to me, its value will drop by approximately 50%. I believe I am entitled to compensation if this deal goes through, as the land will be rendered unusable by fumes and noise. As a property taxpayer for over 60 years, I feel I should not be stripped of my right to use my property as I wish. If this plant goes through, I will have to put up with the noise and fumes if I sit on my front veranda. As a citizen of Six Mile Brook, entering my mid-seventies, I have long considered my land a long-term investment – I will be robbed of that money for retirement. History shows that uneducated people in politics should not be making these decisions. In the early 60s, the government decided to bring a pulp mill to Pictou Co., NS, and for well over 40 years, taxpayers were forced to keep the plant running while the company pillaged the environment and taxes. The only beneficiaries of the mill were those who had employment from the plant, while the rest of us were subject to the plant’s pollution. My belief is that if governments are going to take and invest taxpayers’ money, they need to be educated investors making those decisions, not leave it to elected officials with no background or experience. Older people are at great risk for respiratory and cardiac, and other health issues. This plant will produce fumes that are hazardous even at levels below regulatory limits. This plant also puts our well water at risk and will damage our brooks and streams. The pulp mill was often found to be exceeding toxin limits, and there was no oversight, monitoring, or repercussions.