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Recommended 1 times. 1 Recommend
2009-12-10 at 17:03

Residents set up blockade in Marathon

By tbnewswatch.com
103.5 The ThunderHave Breakfast with Brent each weekday morning on The Thunder, Today's Country Music Station, 103.5 & 104.5http://www.thethunder.ca

A road block set up by protesters in Marathon has halted the transport of chemicals through the town.

Tembec was to begin transporting about 1.5-million litres of waste chemicals Thursday morning from Marathon Pulp, through the town to a spill basin about four kilometres east of the mill. Protesters from neighboring Pic River First Nation have joined about 40 Marathon residents blocking the gates to the spill basin access road.

Pic River representatives tell TBT News the chemical transfer impacts their territorial rights. Mayor Rick Dumas said an emergency meeting was scheduled for early Thursday evening involving representatives from the town, Pic River, Tembec and the Ministry of the Environment.

TbNewsWatch.com

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Tbnewswatch.com(19)

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Comments
joewho06 says:
One would think that this road block would be a good spot for our MP, Bruce Hyer, as environmental concerns are dear to his heart.
2009-12-16 at 17:15
unionbay880 says:
What does this picture have to do with anything? Is there black liquor on her hand? Why is it so big?
2009-12-16 at 11:03
cob says:
What are the greenhouse gas emissions associated with trying to live a 21st century lifestyle in the north? You can't have it both ways. If you want to live a traditional life in the north, go for it. However I think a growing number of people are tired of financing northern communities that have no economic base. Add in the environmental cost of sustaining this and it is clear to me that it is foolish to continue to do so. As I read the article above, it is also clear that Stan has a very mixed agenda; is he concerned about the environment or in furthering native political goals. Also, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. You don't have to look too far to see the contempt that too many natives have for "their land"; i.e. the litter, abandoned vehicles and garbage they leave where it falls.
2009-12-16 at 08:04
doveydoll says:
Blockade is still up and going strong. It will continue that way til Tembec takes their liquors home with them !!!!
2009-12-14 at 21:35
eddylives says:
Big business gets away with murder , the regular joe gets hung out to dry.
What a system we have to regulate us......
2009-12-13 at 22:01
doveydoll says:
Up until a few weeks ago the MOE has said it is too risky to allow Tembec to dump in the spill basin. Now that the tanks are freezing and there is risk of them bursting and spilling out, the MOE has said "go ahead".
But lets back up a few months. The MOE originally told Tembec they cannot dump "unless their becomes an emergency and then it will be allowed". This gave Tembec to ok to create an emergency.
Everybody and their dog knows about the winters in northern ontario. Tembec knew full well that the tanks would freeze and burst if the liquors were not removed in time. Not wanting to pay the heating bill they left it til winter.... until the tanks were at risk of freezing..... causing an emergency.
WAY TO GO MOE.
2009-12-12 at 22:23
tanner says:
Here's a bit of news that came from the town hall meeting on Friday. The Tembec official was asked if there was anything in place at the mill site itself should a tank rupture (recall that this whole mess started because MoE and Tembec are concerned that the tanks would rupture in the cold weather). The Tembec official responded that yes, there was something in place - a vacuum truck that has a capacity of 2,000 to 3,000 litres. There is approximately 1.5 million litres of black liquor in at the site. They have already had a 12,000 litre spill along their pipeline. The tanks at the mill site are at the doorstep of Lake Superior (literally). Environmental responsibility at its best!
2009-12-12 at 22:07
drichmond says:
I am happy that Pic River First & Marathon are uniting for such a great cause. Dumping this waste chemical is very dangerous to the future, is there any proof that this will not seep into the Lake Superior? As a Ojibway Traditional Women I would like to say how my sisters have been walking across Canada to pray for the purification of our waters, how long now have we had to buy drinking water? What do we have to do to protect the environment? I live in Marathon close by the Marathon Mill and there has been at least 7 of us diagnosed with Cancer in the last 12 years.
My husband was a worker for 28 years he loss $$$ when Tembac went bankrupt and stole his severence, holiday pay and pension now they want to steal our land and pollute it with poison.
Tbnewswatch.com

2009-12-12 at 19:03
thebeefer62 says:
The two different groups of people united for one cause have always been the same people who expect responsible government but never seem to get it. Marathon, Heron Bay and The Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation have always watched each others backs and will continue to do so. The Ministry sold our forest to Tembec less than 2 weeks after they bankrupted us (with all kinds of secret deals)and did not allow Pic River Forest Company to cut there..
Thanks for your support and check the internet for all of Tembec's dealings and you'll see what kind of company they really are.
2009-12-12 at 15:43
passlake says:
good for you residents of marathon. don't allow tembec to cut and run and leave you with the environmental s***-storm that they are creating.

Make a big deal out of this.. after all, it IS a big deal!
2009-12-12 at 01:20
arjay says:
hey fellow citizens!!
do you ever get the feeling, that your politicians , and the beaurocrats they control,do not like it when you ask for fairness? they will wait awhile, and then, they will assist TEMBEC in moving the poison with billy clubs, liberally, if needs be!!! remember , next year is an election year!
ARJAY
2009-12-11 at 13:25
psmith says:
Now that everythings freezing up, it's much safer to just keep the chemicals in the mill (and heat it) than risk another spill piping or transporting them. Tembec should have thought of this before it fought so hard against the spring MoE order that told them they either had to ship the stuff before it started freezing or keep it there but heat the plant over the winter. No idea why the MoE has decided to reverse it's order and let these guys dump their chemicals and run away from the mill. The 12,000 litre spill this week could be just the beginning if they are allowed to continue dumping.
2009-12-11 at 10:24
bigdog says:
Good points. How long before this massive pond leaches into the ground water? And can someone tell me the chemical l composition of this stuff?



2009-12-11 at 9:00 AM
drayton lad says:
This is now sounding like an oilfield spills pond,just a diff type of black, smelly,sticky goo that will show up tragically on water fowl come this spring.Added to the 15,000,000,000 litres already in the pond.Someone will get the shotgun job or they will install auto bird bangers to scare Geese etc. from landing on the pond.Either way,it's a disaster waiting to happen,can't stay in the pond for-ever!
2009-12-11 at 9:00 AM
tanner says:
There seems to be some hypocracy in the actions of the Ministry of the Environment. A couple of years ago a resident of Marathon suffered a spill of their heating oil. MoE officials were on site soon after this; the house was quickly cordoned off. Eventually the house was deemed a harzard and was torn down. With the spill of 12,000 litres of black liquor, we in Marathon have yet to see any area cordoned off nor do we see any sign of officials investigating the spill.
2009-12-11 at 07:41
tbaygal27 says:
This article makes no mention of the 12000 litres of chemical waste covering the abandoned pulp mill. On one hand the company could pipeline the waste to the basin, instead they have chosen to take it by transport truck. Is this because it is cheaper to transport it by truck than pipeline? No wonder people in Marathon and Pic River are upset, what would happen if there was an accident during transport? This entire region is at risk.
2009-12-10 at 23:52
lopez says:
if trimback would have shut THEIR mill down properly they would not be in this fiasco now. They choose to pull the heat late last winter and escape with their pockets full of cash! Properly concentrating all that liquor into heavier solids and shipping this liquid gold to any mill in north america would have turned a profit. Put the heat back on and let them pay now with all the money they saved on not paying severance, termination pays, etc. etc.
2009-12-10 at 21:29
laidoffmillguy says:
This article leaves alot of unanswered question's, I thought that moving the green/black liquer was important because of the environmental hazards??. So is the protest because there is issues to the location and capability of storage? all it says in the article that it impacts territorial rights but nothing to do with any environmental hazard. I would be nice if TBnewswatch went a little more in depth in there reporting on this story.
2009-12-10 at 19:38
tbaygal27 says:
It is nice to see two different groups of people united for one cause.
2009-12-10 at 6:00 PM
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