First Nation Community Says No One Warned Them of Fiery Derailment on Their Territory
Community members say lack of communication from Canadian rail company highlights need for accountability
First Nation leaders on Thursday slammed the Canadian National Railway (CN) for neither warning the community of environmental damages caused by the fiery oil train derailment that occurred last Saturday on traditional land, nor even warning of the derailment itself.
Mattagami council member Jennifer Constant said she only became aware of the accident after reading about it on Facebook, despite the community being the nearest in proximity to the crash site.
"We had to initiate contact to get any kind of information, which is a real concern to us considering we were the closest to the incident," Constant told CBC News. She said CN did not get back to her for two days--a charge which CN spokesperson Patrick Waldron denies.
Mattagami Chief Walter Naveau added, "It's [a] big concern from the First Nation because of the environmental impacts of what could happen, the physical damage to the animals and plants. What are the chemicals that are poisonous in there [the crude oil]? We don't know."
The derailment, which occurred late Saturday night, saw 29 train cars carrying Alberta oil sands to Ontario detach from a 100-car freight line, with seven catching fire in an accident which environmental activists say highlights the dangers of fossil fuel transportation. The amount of oil spilled is unknown.
Ontario's Regional Chief Stan Beardy agreed with Naveau. He told CBC on Thursday that First Nation members "still depend on that [territory] for their way of life. They still depend on the animals, the birds and the fish from that area. I'm very concerned that, if there's contamination to the natural environment, that it will affect the quality of the animals, birds and fish."
While cleanup has been ongoing throughout the week and remains underway, CN has reopened its rail lines to other train traffic and says the leak has been contained. Still, Beardy said that neglecting to inform First Nation leaders of the derailment was a major misstep on CN's part.
"It's only fair that the First Nation is notified to the full extent of what is happening, what is being undertaken to address the accident. There should be strong communication between the railway company and the First Nation," Beardy told CBC. "Whoever's responsible has to clean up because the people of Mattagami depend for their livelihood to pursue their traditional activities with that area."
Two tanker cars from the derailment remained on fire as of Wednesday, Waldron said. "Firefighting experts have allowed a controlled fire involving two tanker cars to continue to burn. Those cars are a safe distance from the tracks and present no danger to rail operations or ongoing cleanup work," he said.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
First Nation leaders on Thursday slammed the Canadian National Railway (CN) for neither warning the community of environmental damages caused by the fiery oil train derailment that occurred last Saturday on traditional land, nor even warning of the derailment itself.
Mattagami council member Jennifer Constant said she only became aware of the accident after reading about it on Facebook, despite the community being the nearest in proximity to the crash site.
"We had to initiate contact to get any kind of information, which is a real concern to us considering we were the closest to the incident," Constant told CBC News. She said CN did not get back to her for two days--a charge which CN spokesperson Patrick Waldron denies.
Mattagami Chief Walter Naveau added, "It's [a] big concern from the First Nation because of the environmental impacts of what could happen, the physical damage to the animals and plants. What are the chemicals that are poisonous in there [the crude oil]? We don't know."
The derailment, which occurred late Saturday night, saw 29 train cars carrying Alberta oil sands to Ontario detach from a 100-car freight line, with seven catching fire in an accident which environmental activists say highlights the dangers of fossil fuel transportation. The amount of oil spilled is unknown.
Ontario's Regional Chief Stan Beardy agreed with Naveau. He told CBC on Thursday that First Nation members "still depend on that [territory] for their way of life. They still depend on the animals, the birds and the fish from that area. I'm very concerned that, if there's contamination to the natural environment, that it will affect the quality of the animals, birds and fish."
While cleanup has been ongoing throughout the week and remains underway, CN has reopened its rail lines to other train traffic and says the leak has been contained. Still, Beardy said that neglecting to inform First Nation leaders of the derailment was a major misstep on CN's part.
"It's only fair that the First Nation is notified to the full extent of what is happening, what is being undertaken to address the accident. There should be strong communication between the railway company and the First Nation," Beardy told CBC. "Whoever's responsible has to clean up because the people of Mattagami depend for their livelihood to pursue their traditional activities with that area."
Two tanker cars from the derailment remained on fire as of Wednesday, Waldron said. "Firefighting experts have allowed a controlled fire involving two tanker cars to continue to burn. Those cars are a safe distance from the tracks and present no danger to rail operations or ongoing cleanup work," he said.
First Nation leaders on Thursday slammed the Canadian National Railway (CN) for neither warning the community of environmental damages caused by the fiery oil train derailment that occurred last Saturday on traditional land, nor even warning of the derailment itself.
Mattagami council member Jennifer Constant said she only became aware of the accident after reading about it on Facebook, despite the community being the nearest in proximity to the crash site.
"We had to initiate contact to get any kind of information, which is a real concern to us considering we were the closest to the incident," Constant told CBC News. She said CN did not get back to her for two days--a charge which CN spokesperson Patrick Waldron denies.
Mattagami Chief Walter Naveau added, "It's [a] big concern from the First Nation because of the environmental impacts of what could happen, the physical damage to the animals and plants. What are the chemicals that are poisonous in there [the crude oil]? We don't know."
The derailment, which occurred late Saturday night, saw 29 train cars carrying Alberta oil sands to Ontario detach from a 100-car freight line, with seven catching fire in an accident which environmental activists say highlights the dangers of fossil fuel transportation. The amount of oil spilled is unknown.
Ontario's Regional Chief Stan Beardy agreed with Naveau. He told CBC on Thursday that First Nation members "still depend on that [territory] for their way of life. They still depend on the animals, the birds and the fish from that area. I'm very concerned that, if there's contamination to the natural environment, that it will affect the quality of the animals, birds and fish."
While cleanup has been ongoing throughout the week and remains underway, CN has reopened its rail lines to other train traffic and says the leak has been contained. Still, Beardy said that neglecting to inform First Nation leaders of the derailment was a major misstep on CN's part.
"It's only fair that the First Nation is notified to the full extent of what is happening, what is being undertaken to address the accident. There should be strong communication between the railway company and the First Nation," Beardy told CBC. "Whoever's responsible has to clean up because the people of Mattagami depend for their livelihood to pursue their traditional activities with that area."
Two tanker cars from the derailment remained on fire as of Wednesday, Waldron said. "Firefighting experts have allowed a controlled fire involving two tanker cars to continue to burn. Those cars are a safe distance from the tracks and present no danger to rail operations or ongoing cleanup work," he said.