Grassy Narrows First Nation mercury needs immediate cleanup, NDP says

Superior Morning7:34Grassy Narrows Report - NDP Reaction

it's been a week since a report was released calling for a clean up of the mercury contamination near Grassy Narrows. We'll hear the latest demand for remediation.Mercury contamination in the English-Wabigoon river system near Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario needs to be cleaned up immediately, according to the provincial NDP.

A Dryden, Ont. paper milldumped mercury in the waterwayin the 1960s.A report released in mid-Junecalls for remediation. It alsoshows mercury levels continue to rise in some of the lakesthat people from Grassy Narrows rely on for sustenance fishing.

Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynnesaid the report, commissioned by the province and the First Nation,leaves many unanswered questions and more study is needed. The NDP disagrees.

• Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne won't commit to Grassy Narrows mercury cleanup
• Mercury levels still rising near Grassy Narrows First Nation, report says
• Mercury contamination at Grassy Narrows First Nation will get worse with logging, deputy chief says

"It has been too long," saidMPP France Gelinas, the NDP's Aboriginal Affairs critic."Action has to be taken now. Let's start this. Let's put a work plan in place that will clean this up once and for all."

Gelinas, who is from Sudbury,said the province facilitated the cleanup of contaminants in that city and the same should be done at Grassy Narrows.

"It falls squarely on the plate of the provincial government to protect the health of its citizens," she said. "Right now we know that the health of those citizens isat risk and we know they deserve our protection and we know what to do to protect them: you clean the waterways."

The Green Party of Ontario also issued a call for action.

"The Green Party of Ontariopromotes and supports any reasonable means of mitigating the mercury problems... including the physical removal of mercury polluted silt in the river systemand the limitation of clear-cut forestry practices in the Whiskey Jack Forest tract to those agreed upon by the First Nation concerned,"the Greenssaid in a news release last week.