Approximately 35 people were on hand at Club Alouette in Falher March 11 for the fourth annual general meeting of Friends of Unpolluted Lifestyle (FOUL). The meeting included an overview of the society’s present status in addition to covering highlights of the organization’s accomplishments over the past five years. “We covered some of the inaugural meetings which saw between 80 and 100 Smoky River residents attend organizational meetings early in 2004,” says Denis Sauvageau, president of FOUL “in addition to the results of a public demonstration held in the Town of Falher in April of 2004 which was a first for the area.” Other highlights included the group’s involvement with Municipal District of Smoky River council in the development a Municipal Development Plan which would ensure that development activities in the region are well planned. Another important and ongoing item of importance to the organization is its involvement with the Clean Air Strategic Alliance Confined Feeding Operations Project Team. Sauvageau also expressed ongoing concern with the Alberta Operations Practices Act, which he says “tends to favour the rights of industry over the rights of ordinary citizens.” In 2005 the group hired lawyer Jordan Crerar of Edmonton to work with them in a successful bid to ensure that liquid hog manure would not be surface spread but rather directly injected into the land, a practice which minimizes emissions/odours and minimizes the risk of runoff. The recent annual general meeting was also an opportunity for FOUL to consider amendments to their articles of incorporation, which would allow the organization to get involved with other evolving environmental issues that may adversely affect the quality of life for residents in the region. That includes plans by Bruce Power Albert to build the province’s first ever nuclear power plant facility just west of Peace River near Lac Cardinal. Guest speakers Diane Plowman and Carol Arkinstall from the Peace River Environmental Society (PRES) gave some history of their organization along with a rundown of the current initiatives that the group is involved with. Arkinstall explained how their involvement with the DMI Pulp mill proposal north of Peace River led to better technology being implemented to minimized environmental impacts from the operations. She also indicated that membership within the organization has been growing “by leaps and bounds” mostly as a result of the proposed nuclear power plant in the region. She also made reference to the warm reception given recently in Grimshaw at the Legion Hall where 400 people were on hand to hear Leila Darwish of the Sierra Club and nuclear physicist Heinz-Jergen-Peters. Dr. Gordon Edwards of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, Pat Macnamara from Port Hope, Ont., and Dr. Jim Harding from Saskatchewan were also brought into the area to speak about their experience with the nuclear industry. Plowman, meanwhile, spoke about her experience touring the Bruce Power facility near the community of Kincardine, Ont., near the shores of Lake Huron. She noted that one of the first things that raised questions in her mind about that project was the sheer size of Lake Huron compared to Lac Cardinal. Another observation was the fact that Kincardine was very much dominated by the nuclear industry with most of the locals either working at the plant or associated subcontract businesses. “There is some inherent risk to living in a one industry town that does not have a diversified economic base,” she emphasized at the meeting. Plowman also questioned the need for the proposed project in the heart of the Peace Country and the fact that Albertans should be considering alternatives to what is being proposed. Examples of what other countries around the world are doing to generate more sustainable means of electricity. “Albertans need to get more informed on both sides of the debate so that they can make an educated decision on whether or not they want to welcome the Nuclear Power Industry in the Province,” says Sauvageau. In other related news, a new website (www.peaceriverenvironmentalsociety.org) has officially been unveiled which will provide Peace Country residents access to a range of information related to various subjects. This includes everything from nuclear power, to the tar sands, agriculture, land use, and other important information. The meeting also included an election of officers with FOUL’s executive consisting of Denis Sauvageau, Lucienne Pitre, Sylvianne Tardif, Gerry Noel, Diane Lefebvre, Leo Lemire, Raoul Johnson, and Vivianne Laliberte for the upcoming year. Policy amendments adopted The following amendments were unanimously adopted by the membership: The primary focus of the society will be associated with evolving environmental issues which can affect family farms and agricultural communities. Promoting sustainable development through education of our membership and the general public on best management practices or alternatives to proposed development activities which would minimize the impacts on the community and the environment now and for future generations. In his closing comments Sauvageau indicated that FOUL will continue working with PRES to expand the level of information about nuclear power to residents in an effort to inform them about development activities being proposed and alternatives which could serve the same purpose with a smaller impact on people and the environment. Sauvageau also made reference to The United Nations Division for Sustainable Development, which defines sustainable development as “Development that meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” He says FOUL will continue to work diligently behind the scenes on intensive livestock operations issues to ensure that the rights of ordinary Albertans are respected. FOUL was formed in 2003 after residents living near a large industrial hog barn operation south of Girouxville decided to do something about poor air quality in the area affecting their health and quality of life.