Sludge Watch ==> Canada - First Nations expert panel on Safe Drinking Water

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

First Nations, the Environment and Health

VANCOUVER, June 21, 2006 (GLOBE-Net) – Numerous government reports confirm 
that First Nations communities in Canada are exposed to higher risks of 
water, air and soil contamination than the rest of Canada, and this is 
impacting not only on the health of residents in these communities, but also 
their social and economic wellbeing. There have been improvements in recent 
years, but despite the billions of dollars already spent, the problems 
persist. The need exists for First Nations communities and the private 
sector to come together to find practical solutions.
Canadians generally enjoy plentiful supplies of clean water. But many First 
Nations do not share these benefits. This spring, Health Canada revealed 
that seventy-six aboriginal communities were under an advisory to boil 
drinking water, despite $2 billion spent by the federal government over the 
last five years to upgrade their water treatment systems.

In May 2006 the federal government created an expert panel to examine and 
provide options on the establishment of a regulatory framework to ensure 
safe drinking water in First Nations communities. The expert panel will 
submit an options paper to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and 
the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in August 2006 and its 
findings will be made public in September 2006.

Last year, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development 
Johanne Gelinas’ report on Canada’s environmental performance citied earlier 
studies that found "significant risk to the quality or safety of drinking 
water" in three quarters of First Nations drinking water systems.

The situation persists today, and the process of establishing and 
maintaining systems remains inadequate despite the level of investment, said 
Gelinas.


"Of the 462 wastewater systems that were assessed, 16 per cent (74) were 
classified under Category C as posing potential high risk resulting in 
wastewater quality problems related to sewage discharge. Repetitive 
incidences of not meeting the federal guidelines and frequent operational 
difficulties resulted in this classification.’ Source: INAC, 2003
The results of inadequate water supplies have been seen on reserves across 
the country, as First Nations reported more than twice the overall Canadian 
rate of shigellosis, a bacterial infection often caused by contaminated food 
or water. The case of E.Coli contamination at the Kashechwan reserve in 
Ontario last year also provided a vivid reminder of the need for improved 
water treatment. Many members of the community experienced bacterial 
infections and some had to be airlifted to nearby hospitals.


See GLOBE-Net article: First Nations water quality ’Third World’
The Kashechwan case provided two valuable lessons. First, it highlighted a 
key weakness in the current approach to ensuring the safety of the reserve’s 
water supply system. Inadequate training and lack of on-going maintenance 
were cited as the main reasons for repeated contamination of the water 
supply.

Secondly, the cost of prevention will almost always be less than the cost of 
the cure. Simple improvements could have been made to prevent the 
large-scale health crisis that occurred, which may now involve movement of 
the entire community at enormous expense.

The problem extends beyond water supplies. First Nations housing, sewage and 
waste management, and exposure to toxins are also problematic.

In 2001, just under 56% of homes on First Nations reserves were considered 
adequate, with 15% in need of major repairs and over 5% declared ‘unfit for 
human habitation’, says Health Canada. A study undertaken on one community 
by the Pacific Regional Office revealed that more than half of the homes had 
excessive mould growth, including potential pathogens.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada further reported in 2001 that 14 percent 
of household sewage disposal systems were substandard according to 
provincial practices, and posed a health or environmental threat. Of all 
communities, almost 40 percent had either no solid waste disposal service or 
“service which was inconsistent with provincial/territorial practice and 
posed a health or environmental hazard,” reported INAC.


"Current data indicates that of the 89,897 on-reserve houses, approximately 
2,145 homes have no water service and 4,668 have no sewage service." Source: 
INAC 2003.
Some First Nations reserves are located near industrial lands, mining 
operations, or other contaminated sites, brining increased exposure to toxic 
chemicals. In the most highly publicized case, the Aamjiwnaang First Nations 
reserve near Sarnia, Ontario, lies in the middle of a concentration of 
petrochemical manufacturing plants, and residents there are voicing their 
concerns over the potential health issues.

Birth rates on the reserve have been skewed towards females over the last 
decade, and some believe the shift is linked to the chemicals, many of which 
are endocrine disruptors, with the capacity to disrupt hormone functions.

Says Ron Plain, Chair of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation Environment Committee, 
"Our own studies have found heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, in the 
sediment throughout our community. It is worrisome to know that they are 
polluting our families,” reports the Epoch Times.

Chemical contamination, water quality, and the related environmental and 
health effects are certainly not solely First Nations issues, but the 
relatively higher risks facing Canada’s aboriginal population is an issue of 
national concern. As we begin to address countrywide issues related to 
environmental quality, improving the quality of life on First Nations 
reserves is a continuing priority.

Finding effective solutions

Governments in the past have placed priority on improving reserve 
conditions, evidenced by the billions spent on water infrastructure in the 
past five years. The federal government re-committed to First Nations water 
quality in 2003, pledging over $600 million over five years to bring systems 
inline with national standards.

But as reported by Health Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, as 
well as First Nations groups, those funds have only resulted in slight 
improvements across the country – as is often the case, throwing money at a 
problem is not the most effective way to deal with it.

The political will appears to be there to make the issue a priority, as the 
federal government recently created a panel of experts to examine regulatory 
and policy options to ensure clean drinking water for First Nations, and a 
Special Federal Representative has been appointed to develop a long term 
plan for the Kashechewan community.

With such programs, the key to a workable solution may lie with increased 
engagement of the private sector, First Nations communities, and government, 
bringing all stakeholders together. Financing in many cases can be provided 
bys the federal government, expertise and technology by private industry, 
and community involvement and long-term partnering with First Nations can 
help ensure the sustainability of investments.

Water upgrades, for example, are often paid for and installed, while 
community members are given little training in order to carry on maintenance 
and operation. The result can be that contamination still occurs, despite 
the provision of adequate equipment. By involving the community in the 
project and providing education, funding can improve environmental 
conditions while also creating economic opportunities for First Nations.

First Nations are ready and willing to develop partnerships and programs to 
enhance the sustainability of their communities as well, and can take an 
active role in planning their future. The economic and environmental 
benefits from such projects have made them a priority for many aboriginal 
groups.


See GLOBE-Net Feature article: First Nations – Partnering for sustainability
The environmental and health issues that First Nations in Canada face are an 
impediment to their economic and social well-being, and installing adequate 
infrastructure, training and technology for these communities will provide 
benefits for all Canadians, notes Dr. John Wiebe, President and CEO of the 
GLOBE Foundation of Canada.

“Governments can provide the funding and regulatory framework for such 
improvements, but it is First Nations communities and the private sector 
that will bring the needed resources to ensure long-term sustainability,” he 
added.

A comprehensive Backgrounder on Water Quality and First Nations Communities 
is here.

http://www.globe-net.ca/search/display.cfm?NID=2126&CID=2

Publication Date: 6/20/2006