Dust plume reported near eastern boundary

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) is looking for answers after dust suspended in the air near the old Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) campus caused concern.

“We had a message from a community member who saw the activity happen, the plume of rust-brown material being ejected towards the community,” said MCK chief Ross Montour, who leads the environment portfolio.

“Whatever comes in the air and comes toward us becomes an issue of great concern. Anything coming from that industrial park anywhere, all of this is cumulative.”

Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) staff went to the Ste. Catherine industrial park to investigate the cause of the incident. According to Montour, staff was directed by Terrapure to Les Industries Associees de l’Acier Ltee - the car crushing plant - where they learned water being sprayed to control the dust was being applied only intermittently, leading to the clouds of particulate matter.

The MCK quickly contacted Les Industries Associees de l’Acier Ltee, the municipality of Ste. Catherine, and the provincial environment ministry in search of more information about the dust and what is being done about it.

While the incident took place on Tuesday, community member Nick McComber said he had previously noticed dust blowing from the site.

“I drive by every day after work after buying an iced cap. You can drive by that place and see it,” he said, also describing the dust as rust-coloured.

The city of Ste. Catherine contacted Les Industries Associees de l’Acier Ltee. Marina Badani, a spokesperson for the city, told The Eastern Door that it had confirmed the MCK has received responses from the company.

But according to Montour, the company has sent no formal response or taken any proactive measure, instead merely cooperating when KEPO arrived to investigate.

Ste. Catherine mayor Sylvain Bouchard did respond to the MCK, however, despite being on international leave. He assured Council that the issue had been promptly escalated to general management and the city’s environment department and that the city was closely monitoring the situation.

“For its part, the city remains attentive to the situation and reiterates its willingness to collaborate with its partners and neighbours, when required, in a spirit of respect and cooperation,” said Badani, the city spokesperson.

The area has been the subject of heightened environmental concern of late, after the city of

Ste. Catherine and the company Terrapure, which is located in the industrial park abutting the eastern boundary, were charged with alleged violations of the Fisheries Act.

However, environmental concerns at that location have troubled Kahnawake for years, with KSS being relocated because of heavy metal contamination in the ground at the old site.

Montour said that while it appears the car crushing plant is responsible for the dust entering the territory in this case, he is not looking at the companies in isolation when it comes to industrial activity on the territory’s boundary.

“I’m looking at it as a whole,” he said. “If you were to ask me the next steps, I think we’re also looking at Environment Canada. The community would love to see that place closed down,” he said, referring to the industrial park. “I’m hard-pressed to disagree with them because I would like to see them gone too.”

Les Industries Associees de l’Acier Ltee did not return a request for comment.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter