« Ottawa ne parvient pas à assainir les sites contaminés dans le Nord, laissant les Autochtones en danger et augmentant la propre responsabilité financière du gouvernement pour les zones polluées, conclut le commissaire à l’environnement Jerry DeMarco dans un nouvel audit publié mardi. // L’enquête de M. DeMarco a révélé que la responsabilité du gouvernement pour les sites contaminés a augmenté de 7 milliards $ depuis 2005, lorsque le gouvernement a lancé son plan d’assainissement et de récupération des mines abandonnées. »

“The federal government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation have signed a procurement framework agreement for the cleanup of Giant Mine, one of Canada’s most contaminated sites. // Ottawa says the agreement confirms its commitment to increase procurement opportunities for Indigenous people through the more than $4-billion Giant Mine Remediation Project, including prioritizing contracts with Indigenous-owned businesses.”

“Beginning in FCSAP Phase IV (2020 to 2024), however, certain sites contaminated after 1998 will be eligible for funding to allow remediation on more sites that may impact Indigenous people living on reserves or in Northern communities.”

“Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program [:] [t]his measure will primarily benefit Northern residents through the reduction of risks to human health and safety and the environment at eight abandoned and contaminated mine sites in Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Local Indigenous communities and their members constitute 35 per cent of the population in the two territories.””

“As part of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) program, […] will be co-leading various engagement activities across the country with Indigenous Peoples to determine how they can be further involved in the FCSAP program delivery process and prioritization of work at federal contaminated sites.”

“The remediation of Giant Mine in Yellowknife is expected to cost the federal government $4.38 billion — more than four times the initial estimate. […] The remediation of Giant Mine is an extraordinarily complicated undertaking that includes containing 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust deep underground.”

“Budget 2022 proposes to provide $183.1 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Health Canada, Transport Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Statistics Canada, and the National Research Council. […] This funding will also help better understand effects of micro-plastics on human health, monitor plastic contaminants in the North, inform ship plastic waste management, and monitor plastic pollution in water systems.”