Grassy Narrows First Nation Sues Canadian Government Over Mercury Contamination

Grassy Narrows First Nation Sues Canadian Government Over Mercury Contamination

Grassy Narrows First Nation, a northern Ontario community, has filed a lawsuit against the governments of Ontario and Canada over ongoing mercury contamination in the English-Wabigoon river system that flows through its territory. The lawsuit alleges that the governments breached their obligations by failing to ensure the community could safely practise its right to fish and by authorizing industrial activities that worsened the harm.

The legal action comes after a recent study suggested that discharge from a paper mill upstream of the community is exacerbating mercury contamination that dates back decades. The mill’s wastewater, though not containing mercury, contributes to the elevated production of methylmercury, the most toxic form of the contaminant.

Grassy Narrows First Nation has been plagued with mercury poisoning since the 1960s when the mill dumped 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the river system. Despite the mill ceasing to use mercury in its industrial process in the 1970s, mercury levels downstream have not significantly decreased since the 1980s.

A statement of claim was served to the governments when the study was released last month. A spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks said the government would continue working with the mill owner and Indigenous communities affected by mercury contamination in the area.

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing environmental and health challenges faced by Indigenous communities due to industrial pollution and government inaction. Grassy Narrows First Nation’s pursuit of justice and remediation for the mercury contamination is a crucial step towards ensuring the rights and well-being of Indigenous peoples and protecting the environment.