Safe Drinking Water for All By Doug Martz, St. Clair Channelkeeper
Âť My story began several years ago with an unlikely, but fortunate encounter. I was at a boat store when I overheard a man talking about chemical companies discharging waste into the St. Clair River. I kept wondering what he was talking about, so I approached him to find out more. The man was from the First Nations community of Walpole Island and they were up against the chemical company Imperial Chemical Industries, which was dumping waste into their nearby river. We walked out of the store together and spoke for nearly three hours. He was an incredibly passionate man and because I listened to every word of his story, he invited me to Walpole Island to meet the community myself.
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The following week, I rode a ferry from my home in Michigan to Walpole Island, where 100 First Nations people gathered to learn about the chemical waste in their waterway. I listened to story after story of the problems that the community faced. They were suffering a bitter inventory of health problems from autism, attention deficit disorder, birth defects and miscarriages to cancer and diabetes, along with the resultant loss of their culture and traditions. Their story hit home for me. I felt emotionally attached to these people. I told them that I would go back to the other side of the river and do what I could to help them. Within weeks, Imperial Chemical was due for a hearing. The public would be allowed to comment
From 1986 to 2000, the First Nations recorded 700 chemical spills by Imperial Chemical Industries into St. Clair River.
Summer 2008 Waterkeeper Magazine 53
