Free Grassy
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 11 June 2016 07:15
- Written by editor
Grassy Narrows community members continue to report on-going health problems -- a 17-year-old died of mercury poisoning -- because of a pulp paper company poisoned the local river.
A new report shows that it's possible to clean up the river. Send a personal message to Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Wynne and start the clean up now.
Send a messageA,
A river polluted by a paper pulp company decades ago is still poisoning the community of Grassy Narrows in Ontario. Two years ago, a 17-year-old Grassy Narrows boy who suffered from mercury poisoning symptoms died in the hospital. And community members continue to report ongoing health issues.
Grassy Narrows First Nation members and allies have been calling for a thorough clean up since the 80s, but the government has always refused, claiming clean-up was impossible.
A new report confirms that not only is it possible, it’s been done in other rivers with similar contamination. It’s time for the government to stop making excuses, and start cleaning up the mess.
Forty years ago, the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company dumped 9,000 kg of deadly mercury poison into the local river system, sparking a major health crisis in the downstream Grassy Narrows.
It’s the current government’s responsibility to clean up the mess left behind by the paper mill company. The on-going health crisis in the communities adds urgency to clean up the river now. The report released this month shows that a clean up is absolutely possible.
Grassy Narrows community members have been travelling from their community to Toronto, to raise awareness and put pressure on the Ontario government. And thousands of people have signed FreeGrassy.net’s petition on Leadnow’s website. Now SumOfUs is joining the fight -- please write a message and we will make sure it reaches Premier Wynne and Prime Minister Trudeau’s inboxes.
Thanks for all that you do,
Angus, Emma, and the team at SumOfUs
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More information:
Mercury contamination at Grassy Narrows First Nation can be cleaned up, scientists tell government, again, CBC, 30 May 2016.
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