Indigenous governments of Fort Chipewyan investigating contaminated federal site

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Residents of Fort Chipewyan in Alberta are alleging that the federal government has concealed the existence of a federally contaminated site in the heart of their community.

The Transport Canada dock, known locally as the “Big Dock” is used to hunt, trap and fish by local residents. It is also the spot that local children learn to swim, where the community holds annual fishing derbies, and near the water intake for the town’s drinking supply. But it’s also contaminated, and the twin issues of contamination and low water levels are causing strain in the community.

This spring, facing historic low water levels, and three wildfires within 2 kms of the airport, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) asked the government to dredge the dock and for emergency egress purposes and they refused. ACFN then applied to dredge the dock themselves, but the government allegedly denied that request.

Shortly after, the ACFN learned that the federal government had deemed the site contaminated as early as 2017, but had failed to notify the community, or update the federal database on contaminated sites. The ACFN found out through a third party, not from the Federal Crown.

Fort Chipewyan leaders then commissioned reviews and pre-liminary studies confirming that the soil and water in and around the federal site contained significant amounts of carcinogenic compounds at levels exceeding the legal thresholds for safe human use.

The residents of Fort Chipewyan still do not have a working dock, or way to safely escape the community in the case of a wildfire and there has been no attempt to repair the dock or remediate the site.

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Earlier this summer, the Auditor General of Canada released a report outlining the scale of this problem across Canada’s north. The Federal Crown is responsible for thousands of contaminated sites and has a spotty history of informing community members of the risks posed by these sites.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam

“We deserve answers from Minister Anand and the officials at Transport Canada. This contamination was withheld from us by at least 15 officials in Transport Canada and by three Ministers offices,” said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief, Allan Adam. “This exposed the entire community, particularly children, to a variety of carcinogenic chemicals for years. This is particularly appalling and immoral considering the risk our community faces from exposure to pollutants from upstream industrial activities. We demand that Transport Canada immediately table an action plan to clean up and repair their site.” 

“With reconciliation being at the forefront of the government agenda, it’s appalling this situation has never been brought to our attention,” Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro. “We demand answers and want immediate action to address this. The health of our people is our top priority, we will not stand idle in the face of government inaction on this.”

The Office of Alberta’s Minister of Health recently told CTV News there have not been any new cases of cholangiocarcinoma in Fort Chipewyan registered since 2017, and that detailed statistical assessments of the incidence of cancer in the community are completed every three years. However, Adams disputes those claims and points to an alarming rate of rare cancers in the community. Transport Canada confirmed it commissioned the 2017 report which looked at risks to human health and wildlife, indicating there is “no risk to human health.”

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To access the Phase III Environmental Site Assessment Transport Canada – Wharf FacilityFort Chipewyan, Alberta, click here:

 

To read the complete CTV news report, click here

For further information, Chief Adam can be contacted at jay.telegdi@acfn.com or 780-881-7062

Featured image: Lake Athabaska has been reduced to mud flats, making the lake inaccessible. Credit: Fort Chipewyan First Nation.

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