"Iron-dust trial to foster sea life in B.C. waters arouses hope, horror" (but few questions about the content of 100 tonnes of material dumped by a Ca

[Emily]

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Haida+Gwaii+have+created+life+there/7396120/story.html

Haida Gwaii: 'We have created life out there'

Iron-dust trial to foster sea life in B.C. waters arouses hope, horror

By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist; With Files From Postmedia October 16, 2012

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/techno...d+life+there/7396120/story.html#ixzz2A52ZRgWr

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1272964--environment-canada-to-probe-ocean-experiment-on-west-coast

Environment Canada to probe ocean experiment on west coast
Published on Wednesday October 17, 2012 by thestar.com
[snip]
The experiment came to light a few days ago and then spun out of control when John Disney, a colleague of George, told the CBC that many federal departments knew about the experiment.

“All I am saying is that everyone from the Canadian Revenue Agency down to the National Research Council and Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Environment Canada — these people, they’ve all known about this,” he told CBC.

Other federal departments referred questions to Environment Canada.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/10/17/iron-sulfate-bc-tech.html?cmp=rss

Iron fertilization project in Pacific known to government
Environment Canada says it will investigate unauthorized dumping
CBC News
Posted: Oct 17, 2012 12:41 PM PT
Last Updated: Oct 17, 2012 12:18 PM PT
[snip]
Earlier reports said iron sulphate was used in the dump, but Disney said this was incorrect. He says a finely ground dirt-like substance with trace amounts of iron was actually used.

I wonder what the 'dirt-like' substance with trace amounts of iron used was? Mining waste would be a cheap source, but iron ore and taconite (which can contain asbestos) mining waste sounds like it would need further processing to be described as 'dirt-like.' Lots of other mine tailings contain trace iron, among other less desirable contaminants.
It's amazing to me how many news sources misreported the material as being pure iron sulphate and none seem to be questioning the origin of the substance, let alone demanding a full analysis of the material.
I wonder if the source and composition of the substance dumped will ever be disclosed to the public? Whatever it was, it will be assimilated into the food chain.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/mwst1.cfm

MINERAL PROCESSING WASTES Material Description

 

[Emily]

Re: "Iron-dust trial to foster sea life in B.C. waters arouses hope, horror" (but few questions about the content of 100 tonnes of material dumped by a California businessman into Canadian waters)

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/scientists-warn-iron-dump-could-seriously-harm-ocean-1.1003778

Scientists warn iron dump could seriously harm ocean
James Keller and Keven Drews, The Canadian Press
Published Saturday, October 20, 2012 11:48AM PDT

A tiny First Nations village that poured iron into the deep Pacific Ocean in an attempt to boost salmon stocks insisted Friday the project was legal and safe, but the community's explanations did little to convince skeptical scientists, including an American researcher who helped pioneer the theories behind the controversial experiment

...

Kenneth Coale's research at California State University's Moss Landing Marine Laboratories helped pioneer the theories behind iron fertilization. He said the experiment appeared to ignore scientific standards and risked causing serious damage to the surrounding environment.

"One cannot overstate the threat that increased atmospheric CO2 poses to this planet and our society, but one cannot overestimate the threat to the marine environment through iron fertilization attempts to control that CO2," Coale said in an interview.

...

Coale said experiments with iron fertilization in the open ocean have produced a long list of problems, including algae that generate neurotoxins, the creation of greenhouses gases such as methane and nitrous oxide, and depleted levels of oxygen below the ocean surface.

...

The Haida Salmon Restoration Corp. faced a new source of criticism Friday: the Haida Nation. Old Massett is a member of the Haida Nation, whose president and hereditary chiefs council issued a statement criticizing the project.

"The consequences of tampering with nature at this scale are not predictable and pose unacceptable risks to the marine environment," the statement said.

"Our people, along with the rest of humanity, depend on the oceans and cannot leave the fate of the oceans to the whim of the few."



Read more: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/scientists-warn-iron-dump-could-seriously-harm-ocean-1.1003778#ixzz359fDromo