SAVE THE CASSIDY AQUIFER

We need everyone's help to ensure we are going to be able to proceed with the work and the legal case to protect the Cassidy Aquifer. No amount is too small but the greater the donation the quicker we will get to our requested assistance from you.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help!

The Cassidy Aquifer is a very large underground network of fresh water that provides drinking water, agricultural water and water for homes and businesses in the Cedar, Yellowpoint, Cassidy, and North Oyster area south of Nanaimo. This aquifer had been designated as highly vulnerable to contamination because some of the aquifer is very shallow and parts of it are relatively porous to outside contaminants. To try to save this body of water, we are working with residents in the area who are not only concerned about the land use on top of this aquifer but are also affected by the misuse of land designations.

A civil suit was filed on June 23, 2022, in the Supreme Court by Ladysmith residents with the support of the Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition (the “VIWWC”). VIWWC, along with North Oyster Diamond Rate Payers Association (NODRA) supports this litigation as part of efforts to protect the Cassidy Aquifer from harm by industrial land use. The Defendants named in the litigation are Schnitzer Steel Canada Ltd. (“Schnitzer Steel”), Cowichan Valley Regional District (the “CVRD”) and Cassidy Sales and Service Ltd

This civil suit alleges that Schnitzer Steel Canada’s automotive recycling plant located south of the airport at 13271 Simpson Road, Ladysmith, BC is committing ongoing flagrant violations of CVRD zoning bylaws. The CVRD has failed to enforce its bylaws which prohibit heavy industrial activities including specifically metal recycling and the outside storage of materials since at least 2012. Schnitzer Steel’s auto-wrecking facility includes multi-story piles of used metal and huge stockpiles of tires visible throughout the surrounding area.

The Plaintiffs in this litigation own a property that is within the Agricultural Land Reserve and 100 meters from Schnitzer Steel and alleges that they have experienced losses as a result of nuisances including pollution of groundwater, loss of use of property and loss in property value caused by Schnitzer Steel and negligence on the part of the CVRD in not enforcing their bylaws.

Schnitzer Steel is a multi-national metals company that has paid over $25 million dollars in fines for environmental violations in other parts of the world. The CVRD also has deep pockets which they seem intent to use to protect their right to allow Schnitzer Steel to continue violating their bylaws.

In addition to this litigation, we are also engaged in work related to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and their land use policies on the aquifer at the north end of the aquifer by the airport. Since 2021 we have been engaging with the RDN encouraging them to adopt greater protections for the Cassidy Aquifer in their land use planning.

We need to continue to raise funds to continue to support our litigation against Schnitzer Steel and the CVRD and also to have the ability to continue to lobby for more legislative protections for the Cassidy Aquifer.

If you can assist, please donate so we can get through it all and SAVE THE CASSIDY AQUIFER.