Group says lab tests confirm contamination; calls for public input before Nov. 2 deadline
(The following is information that was sent to us at The Laker News by the group)
MOUNT UNIACKE: Members of the Mount Uniacke Stop the Quarry Expansion group are urging Nova Scotians to take notice after recent lab test results confirmed environmental contamination near the Mount Uniacke Quarry, a site that has been the focus of community concern since it opened in 2015.
The group says the findings, coupled with a pending proposal to expand the quarry from four hectares to 40, underscore what they call “a troubling pattern of government inaction” on environmental violations and oversight.
Several elected officials attended a recent community meeting on the issue, including three Nova Scotia MLAs, two from the Progressive Conservative party, and one from the NDP.
The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Liberal party, as well as three East Hants municipal councillors.
Two councillors spoke about their own experiences with the quarry and reiterated that the Municipality of East Hants (MEH) has submitted three formal letters of opposition to the province’s Minister of Environment regarding the expansion proposal.
The NDP and Liberal Parties have sent official letters of concern to the Premier, the group said.
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Notably absent from the meeting were representatives from the quarry’s owners, NCCI, and staff from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSECC), despite being invited.
The group says it has documented and reported multiple environmental violations over the years, alleging that wetland areas have been filled and altered illegally, construction and demolition waste and potentially contaminated soils were buried, and monitoring equipment for blasting has been misconfigured — leaving official data unreliable.
Water testing conducted this year reportedly showed nitrite levels nearly three times above safe limits, with runoff flowing toward the Sackville River headwaters.
The group says this raises concerns about impacts on water quality and wildlife downstream.
Blasting has also been a major point of contention. Residents have reported excessive blast experiences, through the ground and air, since 2015; describing shaking homes, plates rattling, objects falling from walls, cracked foundations, a broken window, damage to wells, and terrified pets. All of which has been justified by false blast monitoring data, according to the group.
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The NSECC’s public comment period for the quarry expansion environmental assessment closes on November 2, 2025.
Residents are being encouraged to submit feedback before the deadline via email at ea@novascotia.ca
The group has also launched an online petition and continues to share updates through its Facebook page, “Stop the Quarry Expansion.”
More Information:
Petition: change.org/p/environmental-offenses-being-condoned-and-now-about-to-be-rewarded-by-our-ns-government
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/372534597984927