Michipicoten First Nation and Domtar are at odds over an environmental matter that reportedly is affecting the First Nation Community.
Michipicoten Preparing for Legal Action against Domtar
According to a CBC Report, “An Indigenous community in northern Ontario says it’s preparing legal action against pulp and paper producer Domtar, alleging the company isn’t cleaning up contamination.”
The CBC report says that the Michipicoten First Nation is alleging substances from Domtar’s wood waste site near Chapleau have leached into the soil and water supply. Domtar’s property is next to Michipicoten’s traditional lands.
Anishinabek News reports, “According to scientific reports, contaminated leachate has been running offsite from Domtar’s Martel Wood Waste Site into the local aquatic and terrestrial environment for several decades.”
For two years, the community has tried to get the company and the provincial government to deal with the leachate running offsite. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) required the company to consult with the First Nation.
Image credit: wawa-news.com
The news reports state that the wood waste site was supposed to be capped with clay. From the CBC report, “John Kim Bell, consultant and lead negotiator for Michipicoten First Nation, says that instead of clay, Domtar covered them in sand. Water leaked out and the contaminants spread in all directions.”
Domtar Responds
Again from the CBC: “In a statement to CBC News, Domtar says it has responsibly managed and controlled the wood waste site since the sawmill ceased operations in 2005.”
“It added it’s been in compliance with its permit and approval requirements, and been in consultation with the MECP and MNRF.”
The statement also says the company has conducted ongoing environmental monitoring and reporting for over 20 years “and is committed to improving the environmental condition of the site.”
“Domtar respects the rights and traditions of First Nation communities and considers environmental stewardship a core value.”
“Unconscionable”
In a press release, Chief Patricia Tangie said, “It is unconscionable that Domtar, as well as the MECP, have known about this contamination for decades but have not stopped or remedied the problem. Domtar continues to leak contaminated leachate into the environment; damaging our natural resources for First Nations people and other residents in and around Chapleau. We are putting Government and industry on notice that First Nations people will no longer stand for the environmental contamination and degradation of our homelands. We are going to hold you accountable.”
“’We don’t want to take this dramatic action, but we feel like we’re forced to because clearly they did not honour their obligation, the duty to consult,’ Bell said, adding the community would prefer to work this issue out reasonably” (CBC).
For more on Duty to Consult see our August 3, 2017 blog, The Duty to Consult.
Based on reports read for this blog, no deadlines or “next steps” were provided.
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