Ontario Minamata disease
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ontario Minamata diseases are a group of severe mercury poisoning cases in Ontario, Canada, affecting many sites, but affected three separate First Nation communities severely. These cases in Ontario were called "Minamata disease" due to identical symptoms to the first documented case of severe mercury poisoning that occurred in the city of Minamata in Japan.
Contents |
[edit] Affected First Nation communities
[edit] Grassy Narrows First Nation
Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg or the "Grassy Narrows First Nation", experienced mercury poisoning from Dryden Chemical Company, a chloralkali process plant, located in Dryden, Ontario that supplied both sodium hydroxide and chlorine used in large amounts for bleaching paper during production for the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company. Dryden Chemical company discharged their effluent into the Wabigoon-English River system.
The Ontario provincial government has initially told the First Nation communities to stop eating fish — their main source of protein — and closed down their commercial fishery. In 90%+ unemployment rate in 1970, closing of the commercial fishery meant economic disaster for the Indian Reserve.
Grassy Narrows First Nation received a settlement in 1985 from the Canadian government and the Reed Paper Company that bought-out the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company and its sister-company Dryden Chemical Company, but the mercury was never removed from the water.
[edit] Sarnia First Nation
Aamjiwnaang First Nation, also known as the "Chippewas of Sarnia First Nation," is located on the St. Clair River, affectionately called by the local population as "Chemical Alley." This First Nation is plagued by numerous chemical affective disorders, including mercury poisoning. Elders in the community recall collecting mercury from the local toxic waste dump by pouring water, then selling the collected mercury on the black market.
[edit] White Dog First Nation
Located downstream from the Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg, the Wabaseemoong First Nation, formerly known as the "White Dog First Nation," also experienced problems from the chloralkali process plant waste discharges located in Dryden, Ontario.
Along with the Grassy Narrows First Nation, White Dog First Nation also received a settlement in 1985 from the Canadian government and the mill.
| Minamata disease |
|---|
| Timeline of Minamata disease • 1959 compensation agreements • Niigata Minamata disease • Ontario Minamata disease |
[edit] Further reading
- Ningewance, Patricia M. "Summary of Mercury Intoxication: a Translation" in An Ojibwe Text Anthology, edited by John D. Nichols. The Centre for Research and Teaching of Canadian Native Languages, University of Western Onatrio (London, ON: 1988).
[edit] External links
- CBC news archive
- Fort Frances Times news archive
- University of Guelph THE SCIENCE CORNER archive
- copy of Toronto Star news archive
- copy of Indian Life news archive
- Fact Sheet: English-Wabigoon River Mercury Compensation
- "Caught in a toxic web, Canadian natives are alarmed by a shortage of sons" AP News archive
