**** Via Bill Zebedee
PRIVATE PROSECUTION CASE FILED AGAINST MOUNT HOPE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
At a press conference at South End Baptist Church in Dartmouth, Bill Zebedee announced he has filed a private prosecutive case against The Mount Hope Development Limited Partnership.
“It is unfortunate,” said Zebedee, “I must take this step. It's the government’s responsibility to enforce the Nova Scotia Environment Act. It shouldn’t be up to a private citizen, to ensure the laws of this province are being enforced.”
Zebedee, who has been calling for a halt to a development at Eisner Cove Wetland, in Dartmouth, since 2020, with the assistance of Jamie Simpson, of Juniper Law, filed the suit after nine complaints about siltation polluting the watercourse.
“Nine complaints,” said Zebedee, “I would have thought, after the first, the Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) would have enforced the Environment Act. Especially when the first investigator from ECC said, in their notes, the wetland was ‘inundated’ with siltation. However, no fines or charges have been laid, after nine complaints, and almost two years.”
Zebedee, President of Protect Eisner Cove Wetland, said the group had long warned ECC Minister Tim Halman, and the developer, by removing the 50 acres of forest, and the associated overburden, that contaminants would enter the wetland.
“Numerous warnings, and nothing,” said Zebedee. “Instead, they based their decisions on reports by consultants, hired by Clayton Developments. Those same consultants who couldn’t even get the direction of storm water flow correct.”
On June 27, 2025, Zebedee, in hopes ECC would enforce Sections 67(1), and 158(e), of the Environment Act, sent a letter of intent to file a private prosecution case.
“After much consideration I took this unfortunate step. I wish I didn’t have to, but the inactions of ECC and the Minister, and the continued destruction of the wetland, has left me with no choice.”
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