Share your feedback on the disposal of pyritic slate and infilling Dartmouth Cove

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is seeking public feedback on Dartmouth Cove and prospective amendments to the regional planning strategy and the land use by-law that would prohibit most water lot infilling and development.

Dartmouth Cove, part of Halifax Harbour, is a 4.52-hectare site containing nine water lots that could potentially be infilled with natural materials to create usable land, provided federal approvals are secured from Transport Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). This presents a practical opportunity to address the need for land development in HRM while meeting industry’s increasing demand for pyritic slate disposal.

Disposal of Pyritic Slate

Pyritic slate is a naturally occurring substance found throughout Southwest Nova Scotia. It releases acid when exposed to oxygen. When this happens, runoff can damage freshwater ecology, fish habitat and cause groundwater contamination.

Exposure is often a byproduct of excavation activities — which have been increasing throughout HRM in the last few years to meet critical housing demands — and must be disposed of during development. Saltwater sequestration is an established best practice for disposing of pyritic slate. As a result, seawater disposal and infill sites are in high demand, but local capacity does not meet industry’s needs.

Repurposing this material as infill mitigates negative environmental impacts, reduces transportation costs and supports ongoing development activities in the region.

Share Your Feedback (Due January 31, 2025!)

PLPROJ-2024-01075 – Dartmouth Cove, Dartmouth is currently in the public consultation stage. These amendments could set a precedent for future restrictions to sites within the municipality, diminishing the ability to effectively dispose of pyritic slate.  

If you have feedback you’d like to share on this project, please send your comments to: 

Rhys Burnell
Halifax Regional Municipality
Planner II, Strategic Projects
902.233.0561
Rhys.Burnell@halifax.ca