Only a few years ago, the Shuswap River was considered the cleanest river at this latitude...Until plots of land were transformed into intensive cattle operations.
Recently water tests near one of the plots showed E.Coli counts of 2240. Drinking water must be 0. Primary contact (swimming) should be < 200.
Interior Health and the Regional District have been made aware but not acted. Meanwhile the pollution continues.
Let’s act together to protect this River!
BeeSAFE is a group started by Huguette Allen, Jane Emlyn and Carla Vierke to protect rural areas from the health risks and environmental degradation of chemical agriculture. The name BeeSAFE reflects our aim for a “Safe Agriculture & Food Economy” -- safe for the bees and for us.
For further background starting in 2012 see About.
Our communities are faced with Intensive chemical farming as well as Intensive Cattle Operations (ICOs) that are polluting everything including the headwaters of the Shuswap River.
While people drank from its water and from streams feeding it as recently as a few years ago, the pollution that is now reaching it makes people fear contamination from swimming in it. BC’s regulatory system continues to let polluters profit from environmental devastation. Therefore it falls upon us, the concerned citizens, to demand accountability and action.
Urgent action is a moral imperative. Join us by demanding immediate protection of water at source and a complete overhaul of BC policies that prioritize profit over the preservation of nature and the protection of our health. Together, we can, we must, compel the authorities to uphold their duty to safeguard water at source and prevent further degradation.
Email:
DM.ENV@gov.bc.ca, premier@gov.bc.ca, harwinder.sandhu.MLA@leg.bc.ca, ENV.Minister@gov.bc.ca
§ Letters sent to media and government
See Attachments below
§ Test Results
See Links below
N.B. E. Coli in drinking water must be 0
E. Coli in swimming water must be < 200
- Letter urging Action (31.29 KB)
- Claude Labine - Letter - high E.coli at Shuswap River beaches (34.47 KB)