Important Notice regarding dumping of Petroleum Products

02/21/2017

The Public Safety Office of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to advise the community of an incident that took place on Saturday, February 17th in the North Texas area.

In the evening hours the Kahnawake Fire Brigade (KFB) responded to calls from people living in the area that they were experiencing the smell of some type of fuel or petroleum product in their homes. The KFB immediately responded and informed the Public Safety Office of the situation. While it was determined that homes were no longer in danger (as indicated by readings taken), some residents chose to spend the night in family members’ homes.

Public Safety representatives then contacted several organizations or businesses in order to investigate whether any type of accident had taken place. All came back negative.

The KFB investigator concluded that a person or persons probably dumped old or used fuel/oil in the sewer system, causing the smell to back up into some of the homes in the area.

“Under no circumstances should anyone ever dump any type of fuel or solvent into any drainage system,” said KellyAnn Meloche, General Manager of Emergency Preparedness and Planning. “Not only is it illegal but this is one of the most irresponsible and dangerous things anyone can ever do. If anyone needs to dispose of these materials, please contact us and we’ll ensure that they are informed of where to dispose of them properly.”