Former acid plant causes continued devastation over half a century later
By Leslie Knibbs
SERPENT RIVER FIRST NATION— The acid plant in Serpent River First Nation (SRFN) closed operations in 1963, leaving behind a legacy of health problems for community members and contamination of the land and water near the site at Aird Bay.
During its glory days, the plant produced 350,000 tons of sulphuric acid per year, which at the time, represented one-third of the total Canadian sulphuric acid production. The first acid delivery to uranium mines in Elliot Lake took place in 1956, followed by seven years of more deliveries, unknowingly leaving nothing but grief in the SRFN community continuing to this day.
According to Lianne Leddy, a SRFN member and a professor at Wilfred Laurier University, the pollution from the acid plant wreaked havoc on the community.
“When the plant was in operation, the fumes caused deforestation in the area, damage to roofs, community gardens, cars and even holes in the laundry drying out on the line.”
These were the visible wounds leaving scars in the community; however, the physical hurts and injuries resulting from the plants are tenfold and graver.
“Even after the plant closed, community members had skin and eye irritations as a result of the plant. Dr. Rosalie Bertell did a study in the early 1980s and documented higher incidences of chronic illness than on neighbouring reserves that she connected to the plant and uranium mining. Some men who worked at the acid plant had chronic bronchitis; children had rashes and eye problems, especially from swimming in Aird Bay; and pregnancy loss,” said Leddy in an interview in late 2021. “Five years following Dr. Bertell’s study, in 1988 a complete remedial cleanup took place. The Chief and council lobbied for this acquiring $5.7 million for a cleanup of the complete site. As result, an estimated 9,000 truckloads of material were hauled out of the area, enough to fill three football stadium fields. The material was hauled to the Spanish dump. Some material was left in the ground, as well as sewage in a large holding tank that continues to leach into Lake Huron.”
Since being elected as Chief of SRFN in 2019, Chief Brent Bisaillion continues the battle of the effects of the plant present-day.
“There were jobs [at the plant] for people, but this was a short-lived project, and again was considered a dirty job. In the end, we are still fighting with Canada and working through a claim on the land. I am hoping that by raising awareness of this, people in our surrounding area can understand and advocate for a resolution to this problem. The plant closed in 1963, but we are still in 2021 living with the effects, and still trying to fight for our restitution on this issue,” he said in a November 2021 interview.
In September of 2022, Phase One of a partial clean-up of the land and water near Aird Bay began with a completion date of November 23.
“This [work] was to address terrestrial and aquatic debris on land and along the shoreline such as concrete, re-bar, logs, and the removal of the intake pipe that was left in place in the bay,” according to SRFN environmental liaison officer, Tammy Tremblay.
Phase one is expected to finish this year with Phase Two planned to begin in 2023.
Following many sessions with community members between 2015 and 2019, SRFN decided on remedial actions to be a phased-in approach beginning with Phase One of aquatic and terrestrial debris removal including removal of the water input pipe to the acid plant which was still submerged. Phase Two will include soil and surface water remediation in 2023. SRFN has taken the position that it wants the site remediated to a residential standard according to Tammy Tremblay. In the meantime, there are still those who are suffering from the aftereffects of the acid plant and its legacy of hurt, harm, and destruction. One such person is SRFN member Myra Kwe Southwind.
Southwind has been going to the site of the current clean-up most days since Phase One started.
“I’ve been going to the pow wow grounds to where they’re working on the acid plant. I sing at the [former] pow wow grounds there every day for the workers who are there doing the job, for us all, for our land, and of course, Mother Earth.”
The old pow wow grounds were located adjacent to the former acid plant site but have since been moved.
Myra has suffered from ongoing health issues she says are a result of the contamination from the acid plant.
“My childhood friends and I would play in the old rubble from the blown-up foundations. We played in this sulphur for years. I remember my siblings and I used to get nosebleeds regularly. I was always sick and sore doing all kinds of blood-work, urine, and stool samples. At 21, I had a tumour removed from the back of my head, and by age 12, I had my tonsils taken out. I was 24 when I had my hysterectomy but not before I had my period for a week [on] and off a week for years. The hysterectomy didn’t help with the pain. My last operation was the removal of my gallbladder 12 years ago,” she said recently. “I am happy in some areas, proud actually, but then I think of things that were out of our hands with the acid plant and the mines in Elliot Lake. We have been dealing with a lot of health problems… Speaking from my personal experience, I’ve had many health problems for as long as I can remember and still today. I know I’m not the only one in this community that has health problems for long periods of time.”
Since coming back home to SRFN, Southwind said she is following her instincts being a Water Carrier, a Firekeeper, and a Grandmother.
“I love Mother Earth and the water that runs through her veins on this beautiful planet. I ask everyone to please pray for a successful cleanup and our Great Lakes.”
Aird Bay is located on the North Shore of Lake Huron.