Listen to this alarm
Fifty-four years after mercury was first dumped into the English-Wabigoon River system in northwestern Ontario, poisoning the fish and anything that ate them — from the people of the Grassy Narrows First Nation to eagles and otters — it’s hard to imagine that things could get much worse. But they apparently are. First there was the release of a government-funded report three weeks ago that says mercury levels in sediments and fish downstream from the original source of the pollution — a defunct paper mill in Dryden, Ont. — are still dangerously high. The system is not naturally cleaning itself up, as the government has argued it would.
Now comes an allegation from a whistleblower who says he was part of a small crew from the paper mill who “haphazardly” dumped drums of mercury and salt into a pit near Grassy Narrows more than 40 years ago. Worse, the government apparently did not act on his warning until Star reporters Jayme Poisson and David Bruser began asking questions.
There is no time to waste. The government should investigate Kas Glowacki’s allegations urgently. The recently released report says no one knows whether the persistently high levels of mercury in the water system are from new leaks around the old Dryden mill — perhaps even from the drums he is talking about — or from sediments that are only now being churned up. And the government has no way of knowing which it is since it hasn’t tested the waters near the mill since 1980.
Glowacki said the dumping of drums of mercury and salt into a pit, lined only with black polyurethane, occurred in1972. But he says he was told by the environment ministry that there was nothing to be concerned about.
Nothing to be concerned about? On the contrary: alarm bells should be ringing.
When the scientific report was released at the end of May, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she would be “thrilled” if there was a way “to clean up that water and to get that mercury out without causing more damage.” Now, despite her assertions, it appears the government isn’t even fully investigating warnings about possible dump sites that could be leaking into the water system.
That isn’t acceptable. Government action to clean up the waterway is long overdue. The environment ministry can start by thoroughly investigating Glowacki’s allegations and then do whatever is necessary to finally clean up the English-Wabigoon River system.
Government action to clean up the waterway is long overdue