Nicola Valley chiefs occupied the constituency office of B.C. Premier Christy Clark

ON APRIL 15 TO APRIL 20, five Nicola Valley chiefs occupied the constituency office of B.C. Premier Christy Clark in West Kelowna to protest the importing of “sewer sludge” into the Nicola Valley. A press release states that the sewage is being trucked in from other municipalities to be spread on farm lands, ranches and forests. “We take care of our own sewage and expect other municipalities to do the same,” reads the statement. The chiefs said harvesting from their lands and waterways has been jeopardized by this risky practice.

“We believe in applying the ‘precautionary principle’ in matters such as these, where cultural ways of life are threatened and ecosystems compromised. We are requesting an immediate moratorium on all importation of these so-called ‘biosolids’ into the Nicola Valley.”

The occupation of the premier’s office ended when government agreed to talk about the spread of treated human waste on private and public lands in the Nicola Valley. The sit-in was prompted after chiefs had asked twice of Environment Minister Mary Polak to disclose the locations of where the waste materials was being spread, but the government only provided a partial list.