South Bruce Peninsular - SBP - Comments

Why Thompson System

mxyzptlk — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:31:54 -0400

i looked for the documents mentioned by dodge. i was able to find the reports for 2005 and 2007. not able to locate 2006 report. in 2005 there were no reported incidents. in 2007 there was one incident that occurred, coincidentally, around the same time of year. the really nagging question is 'why is it that (appearantly) only the thompson system is tested for radium-226'?
kltpzyxm

Town Publishes Reports

Dodge — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:24:25 -0400

Yearly summaries are published on the town website for each water system. One can get some idea of the history of the system from these reports. By 2009 all of the surrounding small systems will be connected to the school wells. Most of the small wells will be decommissioned.

Ah, ok. Never mind.

garym — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:52:23 -0400

Bottom line is I don't see much difference between the test that shut the system down and the limit under which it can continue operation

Ah, ok, everything is peachy then. So this must have happened many times before, right? I probably wasn't paying much attention during those shutdowns, but as you say, there were already natural sources just under the acceptable levels, so a dip over the line now and then can't be all that worrisome.

Tho I'm still curious where it would come from. It is natural, of course, but it is natural from the decay of Uranium, and the closest Uranium of any concentration that I knew about was the Bancroft mines. Stands to reason this being Great Canadian Shield ground granite that we're standing on, there'd be at least some of it laced with heavy metals.

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Drinking Water Standards Set Max Level

Dodge — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:48:00 -0400

There is an Ontario Regulation that sets drinking water standards. Normally these standards list a maximum limit.

Found here: http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/regu/2003r.169/20080716/whole.html

As you see the maximum for Radium 226 is .6 becquerels per litre. As it was reported the reading was .65 and this triggered an advisory. They expect to get the water within standard soon from what I gather. That is the way the system is supposed to work.

If this reported reading is correct then the level of radium is not much different than that which would challenge the body each day if the water supply content was just under statute limits.

There are a number of radiation sources that are dosing all living organisms every day and by and large most living things have evolved to tolerate a lifetime exposure from natural sources. It gets more complicated if you ingest the source and it is internalized in the body where an isotope can radiate nearby cells causing changes. Again we have evolved a small tolerance. These limits are factored in when water quality standards are created.

It gets much more complicated in the case of a smoker where a second larger daily source of isotopes is internalized. Here the literature says that the cancer risk of water bourne isotopes is greater than that which was predicted when the water quality standard was created based on water consumption alone. By this example I mean to show that water standards by themselves may be taken as absolute but are in reality highly influenced in impact by environmental variables. Medical xrays and plane travel add to cellular events from external radiation sources that we add to the total.

With water as with other things in life there is no such thing as zero risk. We may have some control over risk levels. Because of the mandated chemical analysis of bottled waters they may suggest a lower risk profile then your local groundwater source and as mxyzptlk has stated reverse osmosis can also purify your supplied water beyond the provincial standards. Water softeners should be ruled out because they add sodium.

Bottom line is I don't see much difference between the test that shut the system down and the limit under which it can continue operation.

Thompson Water System

mxyzptlk — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:54:20 -0400

just a bit of info for those concerned. the thompson water system (shown in green) services a small number of lots just north of sixth street between the beach and the parkway.

radium occurs naturally and readily dissolves in groundwater where acid conditions (low pH levels) are found. you can read more here: radium in drinking water fact sheet
water softeners and reverse osmosis filters can remove most of it
studies show a relationship between radium-226 in drinking water and increased risk of bone cancer (1)

i wonder if nearby residents, not on the thompson water system, are aware of the problem. they must be getting their water from the same general area as the thompson water system well. can they get 'free' water from the town?
kltpzyxm

This idea is Garbage

garym — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:12:11 -0400

Remember how I said our waste-water woes could well turn into a boon for our local depressed economy? Well here's an example of just that wonderfully illustrated by a British company that shared our other Great Rural Pain, vanishing dumpsite space, and what did they do about it? Bag tags! No. Truck it to a mine in Cree Country! No, wrong again.

Would you believe "Turned it into highly lucrative Black Gold, Texas Tea ..." Yup, that's exactly what they did, and what's more, they made darned sure they had a global patent on the process before they announced that it actually worked ...

The company claims that it can produce about 400 litres (90 gallons) of ethanol from one tonne of dry waste. The new process works by heating the waste to produce gases, then feeding the gases to bacteria, which produce ethanol that can be purified into a fuel.

Ineos plans to sell the environmental product in industrial quantities by the end of 2010. Peter Williams, the chief executive of Ineos Bio, said: "This should mean that, unlike with other biofuels, we won't have to make the choice between food and fuel."

[ Rubbish idea that could make driving cheaper ]

Thus spake the ghost of Obi Wan: "use the Brain, Luke ... use the BRAIN ..."

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Threats on her person?

garym — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:30:03 -0400

According to the Sun-Times, Mayor Gilbert is not only being harassed but quote fears for her safety unquote from an undisclosed harrasser!

"South Bruce Peninsula mayor now says she fears her personal safety and is seeking legal advice to deal with threats she said has received.

Gilbert says she is being bullied by someone who has said they 'will do whatever necessary to ensure she is not the mayor.' She asked council this week to authorize her seeking legal advice regarding her concerns and that it be paid for by the town.

The name of the individual she said is threatening her was not made public."
[ Owen Sound Sun Times - Ontario, CA ]

Not, that is, until after Gilbert receives legal advice -- advice paid for out of town coffers, which seems all nice and all considering we have an unwealthy civic employee under superfluous attack, but does make me wonder what sort of precident this might pose for future mayors and councillors. What the heck kind of a society is this?!

I can think of only one logical answer to all this masked riddler jazz: Somebody smells money, that's all I can figure. Somebody somewhere. Big big money. Big, big Somebody, with big, big "go send your lackey because there's a risk of jail-time" money ...

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Fireworks Bylaw

Dodge — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:32:01 -0400

The fireworks bylay is on the Town of South Bruce Peninsula website. Go to "residents" then "public notices".

Firecrackers are banned, fireworks are permitted May 24, July 1 and 4 as well as the day before each date.

June 28th evening was very noisy with firecrackers and fireworks in every direction. Our bylaw enforcement was absent. I guess the concept of staggered shifts is complicated. There was a 3/4 hour display on the beach at 5th street that was pretty obvious.

Like Gary I used to participate in one annual event on the beach but they have morphed into weekly or even nightly events that were causing a problem. It interferes with the rights of residents to enjoy their property without disturbances. Merchant sales all summer complicate the problem. Also stories of the mess left in the dunes and on the beach abound. The 2 day window provided in the bylaw is sufficient although it is a mystery as to why July 4 is included. We are Canadian eh?

Many municipalities have had to bring in fireworks bylaws due to lack of consideration and fire hazard. Watching flame balls come down in your cedars is not my idea of fun. Last summer a boat on a trailer was a total loss in Oliphant due to fireworks on private property. The fire department was called out and of course we all pay for that. I figured it was a matter of time before someone lost a dwelling and you might never know who did it.

The bylaw is a good compromise. It should be prominently displayed at point of sale and heavily enforced. If there is a problem with it get it fixed.

Canada Day Events Listing

KeeMay — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:32:00 -0400

For anyone heading out to the festivities, there is the official complete list of all the day's events on the SBP Crier (southbrucepeninsula.blogspot.com) and all the Sauble beach events at saublebeach.com

The Mayor threatened

bub — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:29:24 -0400

..and also in that story is the threats the mayor has received by a known but unamed person, to which she is seeking legal advice.What type of person could stoop so low as to do that.I can only imagine.

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Served by By-laws

garym — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:46:00 -0400

Funny you should mention fires and fireworks, because I have a funny story about that:

For years and years, every Victoria Day weekend we would meet up with other families on the beach sands north of 6th street to have our own little fireworks celebration. With the cost of the stuff, one family couldn't put on much of a show for the kiddies, but when you have five or six pitching in their little bit together, it would get to be quite a nice show.

and we did it for years, year after year, never any more problem then maybe a rocket falling over or going P-TOOM on the sands and leaving a black mark and some frightened teenagers. Man it was fun, we looked forward to it, and the kids looked forward to it.

Then, just a few years ago, maybe three years now, we were out there as usual and who should saunter up but our By-Law Officer. "I'm sorry, you can't do this here."

Oh why pray tell? "Because it is not safe"

Ok, let's forget the part about the years and years above and just look at the reality of the situation here: We have six families worth of parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and older more-responsible teens, we are standing on a giant hotel lobby ashtray (sorry eco-folks, but that's what it is, the tourists all know that) and we're a mere hop and skip from a bucket of water so big you can see it clearly from the surface of the nearest other planet, and he's wanting us to believe this is a high risk location for consumer-grade fireworks?

Apparently so.

Ok, fair 'nuff. So, sez I, quite innocently, So I sez to him, where then do tell would be a safe place acceptable to the By-Law?

"Any private property." I kid you not. Any private property. Aye, there's the rub as they say, you see, the 'safety' is not in the vernacular of "public safety" or even "property safety" but rather this is a more esoteric use of the term, a use that implies a safe distance from any possible litigation, ie, fireworks are fine and jim dandy just so long as the town cannot be construed as being to blame for any unforseen consequences of the action!

Indeed, a very different kettle of fish, that.

So ... what did we do? Well, we asked him first, and got an approving nod, so we went ahead and did it, we set up in one of those hedge-fenced backyards bordering Lakeshore and, from the tinderbox of that twig-littered lawn, we launched our joyous surprises upward, through the hydro wires, up, out and arcing over the heads of the passing Lakeshore traffic and it was truly awesome to behold.

but we considered ourselves lucky, and never did it again.

Any resemblance to real incidents or situations or to persons living or dead in the above story is purely coincidental.

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

Auditorama

garym — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:21:36 -0400

OMG, does this mean we'd have another ~~inquisition~~ inquiry into the origins of the previous ~~inquisition~~ inquiry? Man oh man I wonder what ever happened to the notion of having a municipal council that just, well, councilled the municipality. Line 'em all up at the dunk tank, I say, Set 'em up an' knock 'em down, three shots for a quarter, and maybe then at least the Sandfest will get some working day mileage out of them.

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever

a concensus

wayne tanner — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:58:39 -0400

I am glad we are on in agreement.
If it is proven that, or revealed to the world, someone with hidden agendas or spite and vindictiveness and or personal gain, has cost the taxpayers money to facilitate their goals ,..... they should be financially responcible and not have money drawn from the town coffers to cover it .
...If we open this door on this I would love to see who or what walks through.
good to see we are all on the same page....

Close & Noble

wolfkodiak — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:37:35 -0400

In total agreement with mxyzptlk :the bill for the vindictive attack on our mayor should be shouldered by the "gentlemen" who fostered the complaint. It seems pretty obvious who has been threatening her as well. I for one will be encouraging her to run for mayor next time around and truly hope that the "gentlemen" in question will not be allowed to run.

Blue Ubiquity

garym — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:58:13 -0400

This list is now reading somewhat comprehensive, at least so far as the money-making beaches of Southern Ontario go. I wonder how long until it is more expedient to list the beaches which have not ante'd up?

"This summer, Blue Flags will be flying at beaches on Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, including: six beaches in Toronto (Woodbine Beaches, Hanlan's Point Beach, Centre Island Beach, Cherry Beach, Ward's Island Beach, Gibraltar Point Beach); two beaches in the Town of the Blue Mountains (Little River Beach Park, Northwinds Beach Park); Sauble Beach in the Town of South Bruce Peninsula; Station Beach in Kincardine; Wasaga Beach in Wasaga Beach Provincial Park; and, Rotary Cove Beach in Goderich."
[ Ontario Beaches Get International Award ]

Is there anybody not on their list? More to the point, I suppose, is now that everybody is signed on the dotted bandwagon, the whole eco-clean aspect is nice and well and good, but the expense of Blue Flaggedness is hardly a badge of distinction or even news -- got a blue flag too? (yawn) tha'snice -- although I do now wonder what the media effects might be should any of the club members lose their rating.

And I wonder about that likelihood; the irony is not lost on me that the overseer organization on this whole certificatation thing has the acryonym Fee.

garym: ict evangelist - musician - whatever