Parlee Beach staff followed water-quality guidelines, says Boudreau

Health Minister Victor Boudreau says Parlee Beach followed provincial guidelines for rating water quality last summer, and he disputes government data that shows discrepancies in what lab tests found and the public ratings indicated.

At a news conference in Moncton, Boudreau said the government looked into a news report, which was based on data from the Tourism Department, that fecal bacteria levels in Parlee Beach water were high enough on 45 days last summer to pose a health risk to children and the elderly.

The beach had informed visitors the water quality was poor on only 28 days.

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Asked Thursday about the 17-day discrepancy, Boudreau said it could not be verified.

"As far as we know, that's not the case," he said.

Boudreau said park staff followed the guidelines set out by the province. 

New Brunswick came up with its own standards for determining what levels of fecal bacteria — human and animal waste — should merit good, fair or poor ratings.

The guidelines allow Parlee Beach to remain open when its E. coli and fecal bacteria levels would close it to swimmers under tougher federal guidelines.

The ratings posted at the beach are assigned by park staff employed by the Tourism Department, not by staff with the Health Department.

Guidelines get review

Boudreau said the province has created a multi-department committee to review water-quality guidelines and come up with recommendations in time for the next tourism season.

"Obviously, Parlee Beach is very important from a tourism point of view and from a public health point of view it has to be safe," he said. "And the committee is looking at how can we do things differently,

"Do we have to change the way we do the test, do we have to change the way we report those findings?"

In a statement released Wednesday, Valerie Kilfoil, communications director for the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, also said staff at the park followed the ratings guidelines.

Government officials have never tampered with results, she said.

"Some third parties have done their own calculations," she said. "We do not know how exactly they came up with their results."

She did not identify the third parties.

Data on summer ratings

A CBC News report this week about lab tests on Parlee Beach water and the ratings that followed the tests was based on data that local residents obtained from the Tourism Department through right-to-information requests.

The documents indicated the beach water was flagged as fair or good on 17 days last summer when the lab results, according to provincial guidelines, would have deemed it poor.

But Kilfoil said the methodology in use by Tourism Department staff to rate the water each day takes into account more than the laboratory tests of the actual water.  

Cloud cover, wind, water temperature and rainfall are among the factors that are also considered, Kilfoil said in an email.

"Staff at the park are dedicated to the health and welfare of visitors, and there has never been any attempt by staff to mislead the public," she said.

Green Party calls for inquiry

In response to the water quality controversy, Green Party Leader David Coon called for a legislative inquiry and a special committee to investigate government's "failure to protect the public health."

Coon said Premier Brian Gallant should immediately remove all responsibility for monitoring and rating water quality from the Department of Tourism and give it to the office of the chief medical officer of health.

Coon also said Boudreau's judgment is compromised because he has a financial interest in the beach remaining a popular destination.

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"New Brunswickers and tourists alike need to have faith in the integrity and efficacy of our public health system," said Coon.

"This is a public health scandal and the Premier needs to regard it as such."

PCs want Health to take over

Ross Wetmore, who speaks for the Progressive Conservative Party about tourism, said reporting on water quality should be strengthened and left entirely with the Department of Health.

"The way it has been going with the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture hasn't been working," he said.

"So if it hasn't been working under that department, then let's give the Department of Health a try.

"If tourists are going to come to New Brunswick they have to be comfortable that when they read the water quality is good, it is good."