- Target:
- Peter Kent- Minister of Environment, Carole Hughes- Deputy Aboriginal Health, United Nations
- Region:
- Canada
- Website:
- freegrassy.org
Two First Nations communities devastated by mercury poisoning nearly 50 years ago are still feeling the impacts from the metal toxins in one of their key water supplies, a world-renowned expert suggested.
Japanese doctor Masazumi Harada found that of the 160 Grassy Narrows and White Dog residents he examined, 59 per cent were showing signs of ongoing mercury poisoning. Symptoms ranged from tunnel vision and loss of co-ordination to tremors and seizures. 39 per cent had symptoms severe enough to merit a diagnosis of Minamata disease.
Residents of Grassy Narrows had internal mercury levels three times above the Health Canada limit.
People living in White Dog fared even worse, with levels more than seven times above the national guidelines.
The condition has even wormed its way into a new generation. Grassy Narrows resident Judy Da Silva, added she was personally galvanized into action after witnessing the births of numerous babies with brain cancer and other birth defects.
We ask for the government and UN to step forward and provide concrete measures to assist in removing the contamination of mercury from these First Nations communities
We ask that the government ensure that health services including therapists be provided to those community members who lives have been impacted by this contamination.
We ask that the clear cutting be stopped until such time the government can show that clear cutting is not the cause of mercury poisoning.
We ask that the community members who have been adversely effected be properly compensated and foremost that the area is cleaned up and freed of heavy metal toxins.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Stop Mercury Poisoning of First Nations communities petition to Peter Kent- Minister of Environment, Carole Hughes- Deputy Aboriginal Health, United Nations was written by sugarbush_inthenorth and is in the category Environment at GoPetition.