By Richard Bell
Kiann Management has begun work to comply with a litter order from the provincial Department of the Environment (DOE) to remove certain materials from its controversial site on Highway 7 in Porters Lake by a January deadline.
The company had contracted with HRM for the demolition of the Gordon Bell School, and it dumped those materials on the Porters Lake property. Kiann Management then applied to rezone part of this property as a construction & demolition debris (C&D) recycling facility, setting off a fierce struggle with the surrounding residential communities. Earlier this fall, the company put its rezoning application on hold, although it may still choose to go forward.
The company initially claimed that all the materials on the site complied with HRM regulations. However, the Concerned Residents of Porters Lake, Lake Echo, Preston, and Mineville Areas pressured the provincial Department of the Environment to take another look at the materials, resulting in the issuing of the litter removal order.
Both the province and HRM have regulations governing the handling of C&D materials. These overlapping jurisdictions have resulted in confusion over whether Kiann Management must remove all of the materials it dumped from the site, or only a smaller set of materials that are clearly defined in the province’s regulations. The Concerned Residents organization is monitoring developments in this on-going story, with regular updates on their Facebook page.
