Bad dreams are made of these... and other (ir)rational thoughts

"Irrational Fears"  2019 - Tacha Reed

Last January when I first heard of Halliburton's plan to store explosives near Walton my initial thought was - oh no, here we go again, the government is planning to sell us out in the name of making money from producing energy, no matter what the environmental implications happen to be. 

A few years ago when the turbines first began to emerge in the Bay of Fundy my initial concern was for their proximity to a number of fault lines. I had no idea that the equipment used to harvest energy would also massacre a large number of aquatic species in the process. At the time, as I worked through my fears with my art, I imagined the only thing worse than a large doses of EMF would be an actual explosion.

Flash forward 2 years and what is being planned, the storing of explosives directly upon a fragile fault line. Not just any explosives, but those produced by Halliburton, one of the most disreputable companies in the world with a long laundry list of nefarious deeds and crimes against humanity, all in the name of profit. Halliburton also happens to be the company whose "poor practices" led to an explosion within the Deep Water Horizon well in 2010, causing a tremendous natural disaster. 

At the time of the Deep Water Horizon crisis I did what I always do when the world makes me angry and frustrated, I responded by producing the first piece in an ongoing series entitled Serious Sirius, which was initially based on the legend that whales were sent to planet earth from the constellation Sirius with the knowledge that at some point in time they would have to sacrifice themselves to save mankind from mass extinction. I envisioned the leak being a beacon of warning, to let the whales know the time was soon approaching for them to fulfil their side of the bargain. (I can't help but think that all of the whales who have recently washed up along our shores is a warning that danger is eminent).

Detail from "Irrational Fears" 2019 - Tacha Reed

This past January I once again dealt with my "irrational fears" by producing this felted piece of Walton, Whale Cove and Pembroke (with the location of the explosive storage site near the bottom left next to the flooded mine). At the time of creation I was unsure of the actual location and did not realize that the mine itself rests along a fault line (seriously, worst case scenario in my mind).

While researching the history of this mine my heart sunk a little... prior to this I'd been blissfully unaware of the nature of the past exploitation of natural resources in Walton and was surprised to learn of the many unique geological wonders that lay beneath the soil there. 

This mineral rich site was first discovered as early as 1894, but it wasn't until 1940 that explorative drilling began. Starting in 1941 this site was operated by Canadian Industrial Minerals, a subsidiary of Springer Strugeon. In 1955 the site was leased to Magnet Cove Barium Corporation, a subsidiary of Dresser Industries Inc., of Dallas, Texas (owned by the Bush family, yes, that famous Bush family), before switching hands to Halliburton, who took over ownership around 1985. While in operation this site eventually became the largest barite mine in Canada, with one of the largest deposits in the world, producing over 90% of the barite used in the nation.          .

Now, when I think of all the deep sea wells currently leaking and seeping into the ocean, filling her with poison, I can't help but wonder if any of the ground up rock used in the creation of the wells came from our own backyard. While researching this mine I learned that in 1970 the mine struck a fault line and began to fill with water, which eventually became brackish revealing that it was being fed by the Minas Basin. It was this accident that eventually led to the closure of the mine in 1978, at which time they laid out a very detailed environment reclamation plan to bring back nature to the site. As you can see from Google Earth, 40 years later the site still remains a massive scar, slowly trying to heal itself.

Thursday July 18th at 6pm there is a second information session being held in the Sanford Council chambers in Windsor to discuss the approval of Halliburton's request to rezone the Dressers Mine site to include the processing and storing of explosives. I know that what Halliburton is asking for from West Hants is a somewhat routine request, and it will no doubt be difficult to reject. I however hope that morals and a desire to protect the environment and the people of West Hants (and the entire planet!) will direct council's decision. I feel that given what is taking place in other parts of Canada at the moment relating to the oil and gas industry, this rezoning approval could be just the gateway needed to open the door to expansion in Nova Scotia. If this site once supplied the Barite used in developing mines, it stands to chance that it could do so once again given the opportunity. I'd like to think this is just an irrational fear, but given the players I find it difficult not to worry about worst case scenarios.

Food for thought, now I must go make some art!