Stopping this pollution, and compensating those affected, was one of the great environmental causes of the 1970s and early 80s. The plant used mercury to manufacture chlorine, which was in turn used to bleach paper at the Dryden Paper Company Ltd. It is unclear if this case sets any environmental precedent, or will impact similar cases of pollution in the future, as it depended upon technical legal arguments around the wording of the indemnity contract. Ontario allowed the site’s owner at the time, Bowater (that eventually became Resolute after filing for bankruptcy) to abandon the site in 2011. With ongoing advisories about toxic fish and warnings to limit consumption, there is no doubt that mercury pollution is a serious problem in the Great Lakes. Mercury, upon reaching aquatic systems, is converted by marine bacteria to methyl-mercury. Note: the Ministry of the Environment was created from the Ontario Water Resources Commission and other agencies in 1971. Stopping this pollution, and compensating those affected, was one of the great environmental causes of the 1970s and early 80s. Grassy Narrows lies about 120 miles east of Winnipeg, with an approximate population of 1490 people (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern … The court sided with Ontario against Resolute FP Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, previous owners of the site. Mercury poisoning in Asupeeschoseewagong First Nation (Grassy Narrows), an Anishinaabe community in Northwestern Ontario, is an important example of environmental injustice. In 1969 N. Fimreit investigated mercury pollution throughout Canada and pointed to the basins of Wabigoon and English Rivers in Ontario as being particularly polluted (Showa 44).1The mercury levels in the fish and waterfowls of these areas were shown to be high.1,2,3,4,5The pollution source was found to be Dryden hemical’s … But why are we tal…. Today’s judgement ends a series of legal appeals. 1970: The government of Ontario closes the Wabigoon-English river system commercial fishery, removing one of the primary sources of … 10 Apr 2012 | By. Get this from a library! But said Resolute is not giving up its legal battle. Natural emissions of mercury form two-thirds of the input; manmade releases form about one-third. Resolute, he said, will challenge the legality of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s 2011 remediation order. What did they think they were doing? This means, the companies will have to begin paying for this process. [1] “. Under the Act, no person may release any pollutant into waters unless the person has a permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System … Mercury pollution in the Great Lakes: A look at how it impacts fish and what must be done to make them safe to eat 02/04/2018 / By Isabelle Z. The Ontario Environment Ministry was alerted and “a total of 35 drums of mercury-contaminated soil were removed from the site for disposal at a licensed facility,” the report said. In a written decision, the court concluded Resolute FP Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, previous owners of the site, have to comply with 2011 directorial order from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment to “repair the waste disposal site, keep monitoring and testing, and take steps to prevent and deal with leaks.”. “Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, the stalling must end on the cleanup of that mill site. During the past decade, a new trend has emerged with regard to mercury pollution. Dryden Chemical had dumped more than 20,000 pounds of mercury into the Wabigoon. Stories about First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Mercury pollution is produced or released: by natural sources, such as forest fires and volcanic activity …6], “In 1985, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed committing government and two companies (Reed Limited, and Great Lakes Forest Products Ltd.) to a one-time compensation payment. Also, government scientists warn that logging would exacerbate mercury pollution, leading the Grassy Narrows community to request an environment assessment of the proposal. In 1962, Dryden Chemical Company began operating a chloralkali process plant in Dryden, Ontario using mercury cells. The judges concluded the site’s previous owners were not protected from financial costs associated with complying with governmental environmental regulations. I remain deeply concerned that the investigation into mercury contamination around the Dryden mill has been at a standstill for the past year,” said Turtle in a release. 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