Province Releases More Information On Grassy Decision

The provincial government is providing more information on their decision on the Whiskey Jack forest management plan in the Grassy Narrows area.
In an e-mail from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Kate Gordon says they are confident the plan has been developed with measures that will ensure any mercury migration is limited.
Gordon says as a precaution, they have imposed conditions on the project to reduce any mercury movement.
They include monitoring soil disturbances, and reporting any changes to research.
Gordon says measures have been put in place to minimize soil disturbances such as harvesting only in the winter on shallow soil sites and reinforcing slopes and banks
The government notified Grassy Narrows First Nation last week that clear-cut logging on their traditional land could be carried out.
The Ministry adds testing has shown that mercury levels in sport fish in parts of the river system have declined as much as 87% since the 1970’s.
They say they test the pulp and paper mill effluent at Dryden on an annual basis for mercury.
The government states the results show that mercury has not been detectable at the mill’s effluent since at least 1989.