And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] replies:
Any variation of this that could be sent to Clinton and/or Gore by folks
out there would be helpful.
**********************************************************
>February 9, 1999
>
>President Bill Clinton
>Vice President Al Gore
>White House Office
>1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
>Washington, DC 20500
>
>Dear Mr. President and Mr. Vice President:
>
>I would like to inform your good office of a crisis situation here are
>Akwesasne (St. Regis Mohawk Reservation). Over the past few weeks it has
>come to light that the Mohawk Casino drilled five wells that subsequently
>contaminated the wells of Mohawk residents. These wells were not sealed;
>they were abandoned. Mohawk people are experiencing abdominal illnesses
>that could have long term health effects. At a meeting on February 4th,
>residents were told the ultimate consequence from the contamination could
>be death.
>
>The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, the Casino management firm and the
>well driller did not inform the residents until individual homeowners
>detected brackish water. As the problem spread throughout the community,
>this group admitted abandoning the wells but took no responsibility for
>the problem. We were told that it is 99% certain, from the testing to
>date, that source of the contamination is the casino site.
>
>A closed landfill on this site was recorded as containing organic
>contaminants. The dirt from this landfill was moved from an off
>reservation site to an on reservation site and is now covered with
>plastic. Runoff of these organic contaminants will contaminate
>reservation homes, lands and wells.
>
>Further, a private developer, Mr. Rick Hamelin, has filled in 10 acres of
>wetlands and this is against federal environmental laws. This site is
>directly adjacent to the casino site and proposed as a future hotel and
>mini-mall.
>
>The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe received a grant from Indian Health Service,
>Rockville, Maryland, to provide a sewage treatment plant for 50
>reservation homes. The casino management and the Tribal Council are
>currently laying the piping to the treatment plant to provide sewer
>services to the casino. At present there are 4 homes, one school, one
>alcohol treatment facility and a community hall linked into the treatment
>plant. The current plant does not have the capacity to service the 4
>homes and the casino. I believe it is a misappropriation of funds on the
>part of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council to service the casino before
>the 50 homes. This also needs investigation.
>
>I have no faith in the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council or the newly formed
>People's Government. I would like to see a team of state and federal
>agencies investigate the occurrences at Akwesasne, a full report
>disclosed directly to the Mohawk people and a plan of action devised to
>remedy the situation we find ourselves in today.
>
>Mohawk citizens faced with serious health risks. We were not informed of
>this until two months after the contamination spread. I am requesting
>that your good office take the necessary measure to protect the general
>health and well being of the Mohawk people of Akwesasne. The casino site
>should be closed and all work stopped until a full outside, state and
>federal investigation can be conducted. The wells must be capped to
>prevent further contamination. The soils on the casino site must be
>tested to determine level of contamination by organic compounds. The soil
>mounds on the reservation must be tested to determine the level of
>contamination by organic compounds and plans made for removal of the
>contaminated soil. There must be an investigation into the illegal
>destruction of the wetlands adjacent to the casino site.
>
>
>
>I await your response,
>
>Sincerely,
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
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