Council Tentatively Approves Clean Soil Amendments, Pending Cmty Feedback

06/02/2008

Today, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke announced that it has approved, in principal, amendments to the 2006 Clean Soil Policy, pending Community feedback. These amendments will be available on-line at www.kahnawake.com, at the Lands Unit and Landfill Offices or by calling 638-8244 or 632-8774. Community Members can give their feedback on the amendments to the Landfill Office until Wednesday, June 11 at 4pm. Chief and Council will make a final decision on Monday, June 16, 2008.

These amendments are to respond to challenges identified in the current Policy, to further ensure that no contaminated Landfill comes to the territory and that clean Landfill is to be used for proper residential development. Large-scale landfill projects must follow a separate process and specific requirements as outlined in the Policy.

Key amendments include; an increase in fees, the necessity to get approval from the Land Management Committee for large scale landfill projects and an increase in random inspections (including Soil Sampling for testing).

“Although it was a long process to (develop) these amendments, I think it’s a good thing and now the Lands Unit have a clearer direction on what they have to do concerning Landfill,” said Chief John Dee Delormier, one of the Portfolio Chiefs.