Emergency Response - Winter Road

Resolution No. 2007-09-10

Emergency Response -Winter Road

WHEREAS it has been the traditional practice of Mushkegowuk First Nation members to access the "Winter Road" in the pursuit of traditional activities and for the purpose of commuting and transportation of necessary goods to and from Moosonee; and

WHEREAS recently there has been increased activity of various business ventures and projects occurring within the Mushkegowuk area, such as the Victor Mine Project adjacent to the community of Attawapiskat; and

WHEREAS these activities have resulted in additional financial resources to upgrade the road to four wheel access which has also increased the level of traffic in both public and business; and

WHEREAS this traffic includes the transportation of "dangerous goods' which require measures of preventative safety to avoid accidental spillage or the release of chemicals with the potential to adversely affect the environment and wildlife including the local human population; and

WHEREAS De Beers is currently the principal client of these "dangerous goods" in relation to the continuing development and operation of its Victor Mine Project; and

Resolution No. 2007-09-10, Page 2

WHEREAS due to lack of funds there does not exist any Emergency Response to implement preventative safety measures, which would include the daily monitoring and clean up of these "dangerous goods' transported on the "Winter Road" if an accidental spill should occur.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Chiefs and Delegates in Assembly mandate the Grand Chief and Executive to begin negotiations with De Beers for funding to develop an Emergency Response preventative program to be implemented through Mushkegowuk Council for the Winter Road to ensure public safety and protection of the environment;

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Mushkegowuk Technical Services establish an Environmental Management System to ensure all spills are adequately addressed.

Please note the scanned text above has been rendered using the Adobe PDF Extract API and may contain errors. Please refer to the scanned images for the correct resolution spelling and context.