Brenda Hartlin for Emo Concerned Citizens
Dear editor:
On June 9, a nine-member delegation from the Emo Concerned Citizens group requested to be heard at the regular town council meeting in Emo.
Our group was in attendance, on the advice of the minister of municipal affairs, to make a presentation outlining our concerns relating to an abattoir being built within the town limits of Emo.
A spokesman for our group had requested well in advance that the mayor and council have copies of Emo’s bylaws, official plan, and the MoE guidelines (specifically Guideline D6) available for reference during the presentation.
When it was noticed that none of the council members or the mayor had these papers available, as we had specifically requested, the CAO informed us that she was directed by the mayor not to have them available.
During the presentation, our spokesperson outlined our concerns regarding the abattoir using our lagoon to dispose of the liquid waste (blood, fecal matter, etc.) coming from the slaughtered animals. This waste, according to a Brandon University environmental biologist that we have spoken to, is far more potent than sewage.
He stated that the major problems with meat processing waste are extremely high organic matter content, very high nitrogen (ammonia), and phosphates. All of these are extremely damaging to organisms in freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers.
Slaughterhouse waste can contain a lot of potential pathogens and the lagoon in Emo has an overflow system that could, in a worst-case scenario, direct the untreated excess form the lagoon into the Rainy River.
If the meat processing waste ends up in surface water or groundwater, it has the potential to cause significant damage to any organisms in that system, as well. We also are concerned about the damage this waste will cause our lagoon.
If our lagoon is not designed to take this kind of waste, since there is no pre-treatment, then it could create an odour problem and ultimately could end up costing the taxpayers of Emo a substantial amount of money to remedy.
Last year, when our group asked town council about the odour problem, we were told that there would be no problem. The mayor cited a town in Manitoba that had an abattoir and suggested we contact them.
We later found out that this town had a properly-designed lagoon that was located several miles north of the town.
We have not been shown any study that shows that our lagoon can handle this waste—and it is located extremely close to town.
Other concerns that were brought up at the meeting include the fact that the official plan of Emo states that there must be at least 300 metres in separation between areas zones residential/sensitive and a Class II industry such as the abattoir.
In the case of the Rainy River District Abattoir, there is not a 300-metre separation.
This discrepancy puts town council and the mayor in direct violation of Emo’s official plan and bylaws, which, by there own admission, is a “law” that must be adhered to.
If town council and the mayor act outside of these laws outlined in the official plan, they can be held personally liable.
Signed,
Brenda Hartlin for
Emo Concerned Citizens
