URGENT ACTION NEEDED ON BILL 111 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN NOVA SCOTIA

On April 29th a private members bill was introduced in the Nova Scotia Legislature by MLA Lenore Zann, NDP Critic for Human Rights, its purpose to address environmental racism in the province.ENRICH - James 2

The objective of the Bill is to consult with Mi’kmaw, African Nova Scotian and Acadian communities throughout the province in order to provide an opportunity for them to share their concerns and collaborate with Government to devise strategies and solutions for addressing environmental racism. Environmental racism is the disproportionate location of polluting industries, sites and other environmental hazards close to racially marginalized communities and the working poor. These communities are among the most historically marginalized communities in the province.

It has come to our attention that Minister of Environment Randy Delorey is not interested in supporting this Bill because it was introduced by opposition members. Our fear is that he may single-handedly bury it.

WE CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN — This is a disgrace and a major step backwards in addressing the problem of environmental injustice and specifically environmental racism in the province – especially in light of the progress that was made on April 29th.

We need your help putting pressure on Randy Delorey and the other MLAs to move this Bill forward: this week is likely their last week in the House this session.

<More information about this issue is included at the bottom of this email>

THE ACTION

If urgent action isn’t taken immediately to ensure that Bill111 is passed at Second and Third reading before the House finishes its current session in one week, the issue will be dead in the water.

There is one simple way that you can support the passing of this Bill next week: Send an email to Randy Delorey, our MLAs and other key representatives in the Nova Scotia Government.ENRICH - Cheneyce 2

Simply copy and paste the email template below, which includes a subject line, email addresses for government officials, and a text that you can modify if you choose.

If you have the opportunity to speak to your MLA, stress the importance of and urgency in passing Bill 111. Be sure to ask your MLA to support the second and third reading of Bill 111 on the floor of the House during this session, which will end in one week.

Have you finished sending your letter? Help spread the word by:

  • Sharing this action alert on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #NSBill111.
  • Forwarding this email to your friends, family and colleagues

The text of the Bill is available on the website for the NS Legislature here and status updates are available at the link here.

If you have any questions, call or email:

Ingrid Waldron, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Dalhousie University
Email: iwaldron@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-4267

***

EMAIL TEMPLATE

To: [INSERT YOUR EMAIL HERE]

cc: “Dr. Ingrid Waldron – ENRICH Project” <iwaldron@dal.ca>

bcc: “Honourable Stephen McNeil (Lib)”  <stephenmcneil@ns.aliantzinc.ca>, “Honourable Randy Delorey (Lib)” <office@delorey4antigonish.ca>, “Honourable Chris d’Entremont (PC)” <barrington@chrisdentremont.com>, “Honourable Kelly Regan (Lib)” <kelly@kellyregan.ca>, “Honourable Michel P. Samson (Lib)” <michelsamson@ns.sympatico.ca>, “Honourable Denise Peterson-Rafuse (NDP)” <denisepetersmla@bellaliant.com>, “Gordon Wilson (Lib)” <info@claredigby.ca>, “Honourable Diana C. Whalen (Lib)” <FinanceMinister@novascotia.ca>, “Honourable Karen Lynn Casey (Lib)” <karencasey@ns.aliantzinc.ca>, “Larry Harrison (PC)” <larryharrisonmla@gmail.com>, “Joyce Treen (Lib)” <Joycetreen@bellaliant.com>, “Honourable Tony Ince (Lib)” <tony.ince@tonyincemla.ca>, “Terry Farrell (Lib)” <terry.farrell@live.com>, “Honourable Jamie Baillie (PC)” <jamiebaillie@bellaliant.com>, “Andrew Younger (Lib)” <info@andrewyounger.ca>, “Honourable Joanne Bernard (Lib)” <dnorthmla@eastlink.ca>, “Honourable Kevin Murphy (Lib)” <info@kevinmurphy.ca>, “Patricia Arab (Lib)” <info@patriciaarab.ca>, “Honourable Geoff MacLellan (Lib)” <mla@geoffmaclellan.ca>, “Lloyd Hines (Lib)” <lphines@ns.sympatico.ca>, “Honourable Lena Metlege Diab (Lib)” <info@lenadiab.ca>, “Brendan Maguire (Lib)” <brendan@brendanmaguire.ca>, “Joachim Stroink (Lib)” <info@JoachimStroink.com>, “Honourable Labi Kousoulis (Lib)” <labi@labimla.ca>, “Honourable Maureen MacDonald (NDP)” <mmacdonald@navnet.net>, “Ben Jessome (Lib)” <jessomeben@gmail.com>, “Margaret Miller (Lib)” <margaretmillermla@bellaliant.net>, “Chuck Porter (I)” <chuck@chuckporter.ca>, “Allan MacMaster (PC)” <mlamacmaster@bellaliant.com>, “John Lohr (PC)” <johnlohrmla@gmail.com>, “Keith Irving (Lib)” <keith@irvingmla.ca>, “Honourable Leo A. Glavine (Lib)” <leoglavinemla@kingswest.ca>, “Suzanne Lohnes-Croft (Lib)” <lunenburgmla@eastlink.ca>, “Honourable Mark Furey (Lib)” <markfurey.mla@eastlink.ca>, “Eddie Orrell (PC)”<eddieorrell@bellaliant.com>, “Honourable Pat Dunn (PC)” <patdunnmla@bellaliant.com>, “Tim Houston (PC)” <pictoueastsue@gmail.com>, “Karla MacFarlane (PC)” <pictouwestmla@bellaliant.com>, “Honourable Keith Colwell (Lib)” <keithcolwell@eastlink.ca>, “Honourable Sterling Belliveau (NDP)” <mlaqueens-shelb@eastlink.ca>, “Stephen Gough (Lib)” <goughsz@gov.ns.ca>, “Honourable Dave Wilson (NDP)” <davewilsonmla@eastlink.ca>, “Honourable Alfie MacLeod (PC)” <alfiemacleodmla@ns.aliantzinc.ca>, “Iain Rankin (Lib)” <info@iainrankin.ca>, “Lenore Zann (NDP)” <lenorezannmla@bellaliant.com>, “Pam Eyking (Lib)” <eykingpz@gov.ns.ca>, “Bill Horne (Lib)” <billhornemla@gmail.com>, “Honourable Zach Churchill (Lib)” <ca@zachchurchill.com>, “Minister of Aborignal Affairs – Honourable Stephen McNeil – ” <oaa@gov.ns.ca >, “Minister of Communities, Culture & Heritage -Honourable Tony Ince ” <tonyince@tonyincemla.ca>, “Minster of Health & Wellness – Honourable Leo A. Glavine – ” <health.minister@gov.ns.ca>, “Minister of Justice-Honourable Lena Metlege Diab” <justmin@gov.ns.ca>, “Minister of Environment – Honourable Randy Delorey” <Minister.Environment@gov.ns.ca>, “Minister of Natural Resources – Honourable Zach Churchill” <mindnr@gov.ns.ca>, “Advisory Council on the Status of Women – Honourable Joanne Bernard” <women@gov.ns.ca>, “Honourable Megan Leslie” <megan.leslie.c1@parl.gc.ca>, “Councillor Jennifer Watts” <jennifer.watts@halifax.ca>

SUBJECT: PLEASE SUPPORT BILL 111 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN NOVA SCOTIA

BODY:

Dear Members of the Legislature of Nova Scotia,

I am writing to you to share my concerns about the issue of environmental racism in Nova Scotia.

As you may be aware a Private Member’s Bill was introduced on April 29th by MLA Lenore Zann, its purpose to address environmental racism – a longstanding issue in our province that disproportionately affects racially marginalized communities and the working poor.

The objective of the Bill is to consult with affected communities throughout the province in order to provide an opportunity for them to share their concerns about environmental racism and collaborate with the Government to devise strategies and solutions for addressing the issue.

This is an important first step in addressing the long-standing issue of environmental racism in our province. We need our government to pass this legislation now in order to send the message that we the people have been heard and that this issue is an important one and that partisanship and further bias will not stand in the way of it’s passing.

I urge you to support the passing of Bill 111 – ‘An Act to Address Environmental Racism in Nova Scotia’ at Second and Third Reading before the house finishes its current spring session.

Sincerely,
<your name here>

***

MORE ABOUT BILL 111:
BILL 111 – ‘An Act to Address Environmental Racism’ came out of a meeting that Dr. Ingrid Waldron had with MLA Lenore Zann (Truro – Bible Hill – Millbrook – Salmon River) in January of this year. You can read the Bill in full here.

Ms. Zann proposed that the introduction of a Private Members Bill could be the first step in addressing the concerns that Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities across the province have long had about the health effects associated with industries that produce toxic waste and other environmentally hazardous activities in their communities.

It’s about time that someonENRICH - Denise 2e in government took this seriously, particularly since Bill 111 was received with much positive support upon its introduction by Ms Zann.

Since last week it has come to our attention that Minister of Environment Randy Delorey is not planning to support the Bill and, therefore, will not ask his Liberal Cabinet colleagues to let Ms Zann introduce the Bill for Second or Third Reading which needs to be done in order for the bill to pass.

 

 

 

 

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