MCK applauds halt to City of Montreal raw sewage plan; remains skeptical of possible delay tactics

10/15/2015

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) announced today that it welcomes yesterday’s announcement that the City of Montreal has agreed to halt its plan to dump an estimated eight billion tons of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River.

The decision was made in response to a federal order to suspend the plan.

“There have been a number of actions taken by various groups and individuals in Kahnawà:ke to show their extreme displeasure with the original plan,” said Chief Clinton Phillips, who is responsible for the Environmental issues. “While we understand that there is some urgency in making repairs to Montreal’s infrastructure, there is no way we can ever support the original plan, which we view as a reckless attack on Mother Earth.”

“Yesterday’s announcement was very positive, but we hope that the federal government’s actions are not an election ploy,” Chief Phillips continued. “We will remain vigilant and hold the government to its promise to conduct its scientific assessment of the project/plan and, hopefully, come to an alternative solution to what the MCK agrees is a difficult and challenging problem.”

While Kahnawà:ke does not take part in elections, the MCK is urging all federal parties to state their intentions regarding this project to Montreal voters before Monday’s election, rather than deciding afterward.

“Finally, we must remind both Canada and the City of Montreal of their Duty to Consult with the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke regarding this proposal,” concluded Chief Phillips. “The land and rivers are of utmost importance to our people, and our responsibility to care for the environment is one that we take very seriously.”