Native group rejects salt cavern plan

A Mi'kmaq group says a proposal to store natural gas in salt caverns in central Nova Scotia would be disastrous for their way of life and the local environment.

The project calls for water from the Shubenacadie River to be used to hollow out the salt deposits in Alton, south of Truro. Thesalty wastewater would then be dumped back into the river.

The Native Council of Nova Scotia fears that could hurt endangered fish like the Atlantic salmon or even the Minas Basin mudflats downstream.

"Our main concern is that this project will have disastrous environmental effects as far as the aboriginal people's use of waters and lands for their harvesting and gathering practices," said council spokesman Roger Hunka.

Calgary-based Landis Energy Corp. proposes to develop up to 20 large caverns out of the salt deposits, and link them to the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, which runsfrom Nova Scotia tothe northeastern United States.

If approved, it would be the first underground gas storage facility in Eastern Canada.

Hunka said the council is frustrated that the provincial government allowed only 10 days for the public to respond to the company's proposal.

"Projects like this should never be fast-tracked," he said.

The Atlantic Salmon Federation has filed a brief that says the salty discharge levels should be monitored by a third party, not the company.

In another brief, a hydrogeologist with the provincial Department of Environment and Labour says the Alton gas proposal is so novel, no one with the department has the expertise to evaluate it.

Landis Energy says the salty dischargewould be released only duringthe high tide to minimize the impact on fish and wildlife.

The department is expected to make a decision about the project by the end of the month.