If the Tories are going to try and destroy nine of our lakes this year, here's the first one to save.

Sandy Pond is part of a 38 hectare trout bearing lake near Long Harbour, NL.

Vale Inco Ltd. the Brazilian mining giant that bought Inco, is now proposing to build a processing plant in Newfoundland. It has asked the federal government for permission dump 386,000 tonnes of toxic waste, every year into Sandy Pond. 

Sandy Pond is full of fish, with what some claim are the best brook trout in the province.

"We always win the trout fishing derby and the majority of the trout came from Sandy Pond," Mr. Murphy, a local fisherman said in an interview. "I've never seen a pond that would compare to Sandy Pond. It's definitely the best fishing,"

Dumping toxic waste into Canadian lakes is illegal. However amendments made to federal regulations in April, 2006, "allow mining companies to use fish bearing natural water bodies" for dump sites. And the Department of Fisheries is looking at nine new dumping sites this year, with Sandy Pond being the next one up.

Dumping toxic waste into Sandy Pond is not the only alternative for Vale, it is just going to save them money.

"Vale Inco Ltd. estimates the total construction and operating costs of using Sandy Pond to contain the residue will be $62-million while the cost of constructing and operating a human-made excavated pit would be $490-million."

And we all know, where Steve stands on this. Over the last six months he has sent his Minister of Trade, David (oops now I'm a Tory) Emerson, around the world with one message.

Canada has resources and we are open for business. We are democratic, affluent, and have few impediments surrounding issues of labour and environmental standards. ref here.

If you want to contact Vale Inco and ask them about the proposed dumping site their contact information is here in Toronto.

Val Inco, despite what the Tories have told you. We put a much larger price tag on our lakes. If there is not enough profit in the site to cover the extra $428 million to protect Sandy Pond, then don't build the fucking mine.

From the Globe here.