Quebec seeks injunction against dumping of contaminated soil in Kanesatake

The Quebec government is taking legal action to address the dumping of contaminated soil along the shoreline in the Mohawk community of Kanesatake, located west of Montreal.

The Environment Department is seeking an injunction in Quebec Superior Court to halt the dumping of soil and waste material, tree-cutting, and the construction of new buildings on 17 properties along the banks of Lake of Two Mountains.

The request for an injunction names 17 defendants, primarily Kanesatake residents, along with two companies that performed work on the properties; however, it does not include other construction firms whose trucks were often observed transporting soil to the Mohawk territory.

Last month, government officials collected soil samples in Kanesatake, which court documents indicate were contaminated with hydrocarbons.

The department further alleges that new buildings have been constructed on the soil deposited along the shoreline, including a cannabis store.

Government lawyers appeared in court in St-Jérôme, Que., on Wednesday, but the judge postponed the hearing until October 7 to allow the defendants time to secure legal representation.