PR] METAL ORE fA CONTAMINATED WATER [] UNCONTAMINATED WATER @§ PLuc 2200 LEVEL | over Inter ; Cyber-souatters snatched up - desirable Web domain name Kathavine Hamer Contributing Writer - NORTH Shore Credit Union has had some unwelcome competition for its Internet address in recent months. The credit union originally hoped to register itself under NSCU.com, but found that another company had already ~ scooped up that domain name. Last week, the News was contacted via e-mail by a company calling itself News Services Company Unliniited. ~The author of the anonymous e-mail said that the organiza- tion’s role was to “assist public companies in the dissemination "., of their press releases.” The e-mail claimed that News Services were contacted by North Shore Credit Union lawyers who offered to purchase the “name NSCU.coni for a fee of $1,000. “Seeing as we already have an established business operating under this domain name, we're hardly going to let it go for $1,000 ... not even ten thousand, or more. The fact is, we own the domain, it is in use, and we're not selling ir,” the sender said. : ot The credit union subsequently registered under the domain name NSCU.ca — which News Services says has caused all sorts of confusion. » : 2 32 *We receive everything from peopie’s private bank srate- _ ments, their .credit information, personal love Iettcrs ... all because the stupid people (trying to contact the credit union) can’t remember to put:.CA. instead of .COM,” alleged News __ Services. ete ,/, News Services also stated that an obscene cartoon posted on their web site, featuring Bugs Bunny and friends fornicating, * had- Geen seat to them by someone trying to reach a credit union employee. ~ : Stuff and nonsense, says the North Shore Credit Union, * which believes that “News Services Company Unlimited” (they ave also been known as Intext, Intertext, and Network Science vi © PREVENTION: CAP Pollutior: prevention measures at Britannia involve: (1) Coltecting ail acid rock drainage {2} Treating the acid rock drainage before discharge to Howe Sound 1 (8) Reducing or preventing the formation of acid rock drainage by covering sulphide mineralization with soils and rerouting unconatam- inated surface waters away from underground mine workings. NEWS photo Paul McGrath ELAINE McHarg surveys the real North Shore Credit Union Web site: . and Computer Undertakers), have simply been employing bul- lying tactics to convince the credit union to buy the NSCU.com domain name. “They've had all kinds of things posted on their web site, like a picture of Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton doing something nasty — and it didn’t come from any of our employees,” said an exasperated Elaine Mcldarg, senior vice-president at North - Shore Credit Union. . McHarg said that News Services is essentially a front for a company of “squatters,” who hoard the domain names they buy in bulk and then try to sell. “These companies secure hundreds of internet addresses knowing that organizations are going to be looking for a cor- porate name,” she said. : Among the other names purchased: Pizza 222. McHarg said that North Shore Credit Union was contacted by mail last week with a. suggestion from News Services Company that they “might want to consider buying” the NSCU.com name. See Lewd page Friday, September 10, 1999 — North Shore News ~ 3 Conditional permits for Britannia site From pane 1 Parks spokesman Ray Robb said the contaminated soil and waste placed on top of the open pit will have lower metal levels and be less “mobile” than metals exposed to the air and rain presently. The mine is currently discharging acid rock drainage (ARD), nietal contaminants toxic to fish, into Howe Sound. The pollu- tioa has been touted as one of the largest acid metal problems in North America. ARD is formed when the metal sulphides in the open pit mine are exposed to water and air. The ARD flows through the tunnel-riddled soil of the mine site and out of nwo portals lead- ing on to Howe Sound. Environment Canada’s Rob McCandless said the volume of ARD coming from the mine site into Howe Sound is equivalent to the amount of sewage coming from a city with a population of 25,060 to 50,0060. McCandless emphasized that Environment Canada had an advisory role in the permits issued to the CBEL. The copper mine was closed 25 years age after 70 years of operation. McCandless said that environmental studies were started in 1975 at the abandoned mine. In 1997, pilot tests were done for treating the ARD. “The result of our work was that we were able to dispel a lot of demons. Everyone knew it was bad, bur nobody knew how bad and we found out,” said McCandless, McCandless said the proposal was an affordable solution to solve the ARD fish pollution without using taxpayers’ money, The proposal includes: © ; the plugging of one cf two portals discharging the coxic metal pollution into fish-bearing creeks chat end in Howe Sound; : @ putting in a treatment plant to remove the metal pollution at the second purtal (closer to sea level). The proposed treatment will add lime that neutralizes the ARD and cause the metals to come out of the effluent. The metals go into a sludge. The non- toxic effluent is discharged into Howe Sound. The sludge, con- taining lime and metal hydroxides, can be disposed of or recov- ered; . capping the open pit and covering it with vegetation as a long term project. . The conditional permits were discussed by a panel of nine government officials at Robson Square in Vancouver on Wednesday. The panelists inchaded staff from the Ministries of Environment, Lands and Parks; Environment Canada;. Energy and Mines, Fishcrics and Oceans; Transportation and Highways and a representative from the Fraser Basin Council... : Absent from the meeting was the principal of CBEL, Tim. . Drummond, 52, of West Vancouver. Drumimond is currently before the courts charged with stealing from and defrauding the West Vancouver Boy Scouts. West Vancouver Police allege: $44,625 was taken from the Scouts’ Christmas tree fund entrusted to Drummond. - : According to the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, mine property is maneged by a court-appointed receiver, The pollution cleanup is estimated to cost between $10 mil- lion and $20 million. The treatment plant will cost $800,600 a: year to run. . _ A $250,000 bond is required before construction. A str- ” charge of $6.75 per tonne of waste deposited at the site is t6 be” rut in a fund for the long term operation of the water treatment |. ° fant. . BE P Robb said that if the proposal does not go through with CBEL, the goverament will go after other “responsible parties” . to remedy the pollution problem. . rae The conditional permits are contingent on finances, com-.* : pletion of other studies and the creation of a public advisory: " committee. : birt . A Ministry of Transportation and Highway spokesman ‘said ue that the permit holder and not taxpayers will’ pay: for ~any. changes to the Sea-To-Sky Highway.needed to accommodate ’ loaded trucks to the landfill. An estimated 26 trucks a day: would use the road to the landfill. rosy es to referendum Pen idarcie Good... Contributing Writer ~ NORTH Vancouver District resi-. dents will have the chance to vote on the issue of public access to the Deep " Cove-Dollarton foreshore at the Nov. 20 municipal election. ‘Five years and more than $29,000 is enough for the waterfront task force to have spent, and now is the time to‘ask the public, Coun. Ernie Crist told council at a meeting on Tuesday night. “The work of the waterfront task force is complete,” said Crist. “Just because people don’t rec with the results doesn’t mean it’s not com- plete.” - ; } waterfront future qj Most of council agreed with him, voting to turn the issuc to a referendum this fall. The wording of the question to be put to the public will be determined this week. Coun. Lisa Muri and Coun. Janice Harris voted against the proposal; saying that more public discussion is needed. Mayor Don Bell was not at the meeting. The task force was suggested by Crist in 1994 as a way of developing long-term strategies for protecting and increasing public access to the Deep Cove-Dollarton waterfront. Its 2-plus membership included representa- tion from district staff, community and ratepayer associations, environmental groups and develop- crs. - The alniost 200 recommendations concern the next 50 years. Among them is that waterfront viewing areas could be widened by purchasing propertics as they become available. The report also calls for the eventual removal of all private docks in the area. The task force sent a summary of the propos- als to more than 29,000 homes in the district, and collected public response by telephone sur- veys and public meetings. : “Every reasonable attempt has been made to inform the people about this.report,” said Crist. “That will condnue up to the election to make sure people know what this is about” : ive people spoke against putting the issue to a referendum this fall, saying that more public discussion was nceded on an issue with such large implications. Peter Dunsford of the Penorama:'Drive |” Ratepayers Association was one of those to urge: council to take more time to listen to concerns:’: Members of the association have questioned. the fairness and financial implications of the task’: | force targeting about 70 “high-end” properties. for possible purchase by the district. 2 690-0; Muri received a round of applause after. b . ing council for cutting off the public consulation period. : -“T think for all the years and money you have >: " put into this thing, you’d want.to do it trom. beginning to end,” she said.» we LE Coun. Harris, who was chairing the meeting, : -, agreed, saying that a “rah-rah” referendum dur-.. : ing an clection campaign would only serve to” polarize the community, © 2...