Public Muskrat Falls meetings: methylmercury, dam breach concerns centre stage

There may be questions abouthow newly-minted conditions on Muskrat Falls will impact methylmercury levels in the Lake Melville area, but people were just as curious about the stability of the dam at the North Spur at a public meeting in North West River Wednesday night.

• N.L. government, Labrador leaders make 'significant' Muskrat Falls progress

"I have big concerns over the North Spur," Jenny Gear told CBC's Labrador Morningat the meeting.

"I've been involved in the meetings, I've been involved in the walks to the North Spur, I've been involved at the protesting at the gate and I'm ready to go again."

A scientist was on hand to answer questions about methylmercury, but the meeting turned to North Spur concerns.

Split focus

Initially, when questions from the floor turned to the ridge of sand and clay that holds back the Churchill River, NunatsiavutPresidentJohannes Lampe said the North Spur wasn't the focus of the meeting.

But the approximately 90 people in attendance pushed the topic, and Lampe agreed he would discuss that part of the megaproject with his government.

"We have to talk about it as Nunatsiavut Government executive council," he said.

"The issue is real and it has to be brought to the attention of the government of Newfoundland."

Gear suggested Labrador's Indigenous leaders ask the premier to press "pause" on Muskrat Falls while all concerns are ironed out, although she's not confident the project will be put on hold.

"I don't think that's going to happen, no," she said.

Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut and Innu Nation leaders have committed to independently reviewing the science behind Muskrat Falls and presenting their findings to the provincial governmentby Friday.

If the three groups give the go ahead, initial flooding can immediately take place.

Meeting attendees fear that's not enough time to properly assess the North Spur.

Methylmercury concerns addressed

Prior to the change in Q&A focus, Dr. Trevor Bell, a research professor at Memorial University, covered how the province's promises will impact methylmercury levels.

"If done properly, these commitments have a real sense of reducing people's concerns significantly and protecting people's health and culture," he said.

"Properly," to him, meaning"you would have to be clearing the organic carbon out of the reservoir" as determined by scientific analysis.

And while Bell theoretically backs the agreement, not everyone is as convinced.

"Right now it's really hard to feel secure about it," attendee Roberta Benefiel said, adding a commitment to follow-up researchafter floodingwould be the way to win her over.

Public meetings have been held in Rigoletand North West River, with onescheduled for Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Thursday and the final one set to take place in Mud Lake on Friday.