Indigenous Services Minister Visits Attawapiskat
Minister Says He Has a Plan, After Community Declares Drinking Water State of Emergency
Inidgenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regan says he has a plan to help Attawapiskat.
Related: Attawapiskat Declares Water State of Emergency
The community declared a state of emergency over the high levels of trihalomethanes in the water supply, while O’Regan says today extra medical teams will be brought in to evaluate residents, water technicians being brought in to help repair the water treatment system there.
Today, @gcfiddler and I travelled to Attawapiskat at the invitation of Chief Gull and Council. We sat down with the community. We listened. And we came up with a plan to fix the water:
— Seamus O'Regan (@SeamusORegan) July 22, 2019
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In the short term:
— Seamus O'Regan (@SeamusORegan) July 22, 2019
This week, we will bring in extra medical teams to evaluate any children or adults with health concerns.
This week, we will bring in water technicians to work on the plant, and fix the reverse osmosis units to make sure they are running well.
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We will flush out the water system completely to get those THM levels under control.
— Seamus O'Regan (@SeamusORegan) July 22, 2019
That will happen now.
We are also going to make sure that the water operators in the community have the best training.
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In the long term:
— Seamus O'Regan (@SeamusORegan) July 22, 2019
While we take these actions now, we will also begin planning for the community’s future, including a new water treatment centre.
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It’s not one or the other. I committed to both. I committed to action now, and lasting action for the people of Attawapiskat.
— Seamus O'Regan (@SeamusORegan) July 22, 2019
And I told the community — the only way this will work is if we work together.
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Residents had previously been told not to even bathe in the water, let alone drink the stuff.
