Reputable scientists tell premier to start mercury cleanup in letter
David Schindler, one of the founding members of IISD Experimental Lakes Area, co-wrote a letter with environmentalist David Suzuki to Premier Kathleen Wynne that said the mercury remediation of the Wabigoon-English Rivr system should begin. SUPPLIED
Two prominent Canadian scientists say the time is right and “fear is needless” for the mercury cleanup of the Wabigoon-English River system, but the Ontario government continues to stall.
David Schindler, who was the founding director of the Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA), co-wrote a letter with environmentalist David Suzuki to Premier Kathleen Wynne on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
In the letter, made available through the Toronto Star, Suzuki and Schindler said the methods proposed in Dr. John Rudd’s plan for mercury remediation will not damage the ecosystem and the province should “proceed with the reclamation program.”
Both Wynne and Minister of the Environment Glen Murray have repeatedly expressed concern that the proposed plan, which was released to the public in May, may stir up the mercury and make the problem worse.
“To pass up an opportunity like this and procrastinate for several more years hoping that something better might come along is not the smart thing to do.” said Schindler, who is now a professor emeritus of biological sciences at the University of Alberta.
He also said he’s confident in the research already done on Grassy Narrows along with the people who want to do the cleanup as they are either scientists at IISD-ELA or former students who studied there. Plus, all of Rudd’s proposals are backed up by research.
When asked about Wynne and Murray’s apparent hesitation, Schindler said “I think they’re getting some bad advice from people who don’t know the literature well and who have some really strange fears.”
For example, he said he’d be concerned if there was somebody “going to go in with an enormous dredge,” but that’s not what is outlined in the proposed plan.
Instead, it’s very limited dredging on a small scale to be used with other techniques, like the addition of nitrate. The IISD-ELA did an experiment with nitrate and found there were no problems, said Schindler.
It was later added to Onondaga Lake in the U.S. with the goal of reducing algae blooms, but something else happened, he explained.
“By accident, they discovered that it reduced methylmercury by 95 per cent. And working through the theory of why this makes perfect sense, it’s the oxygen in the nitrate that’s inhibiting the methylation of mercury.”
In respect to the Ontario legislature’s back and forth on the issue since Rudd’s report came out, Schindler said it’s the “age-old” problem of decision makers lack of scientific literacy.
“If you don’t know the ins and outs of an issue, you’re always fearful of imagined consequences. I guess our letter was an attempt to reassure these people that this proposal is backed by solid science,” he said.
Schindler also pointed out mercury contamination has affected Grassy Narrows and other First Nations since before he helped start the ELA in 1968 and has been held up as an example in international circles of Canada’s poor treatment of Indigenous people.
“This is now a major human rights issue. This is beyond science,” he said.