Remediation and Restoration

Tsi Ní:tsi etewahawíhtha’ tsi Nahó:ten Io’táksen tánon Tsi Ní:tsi Tsitewaianeráhstsa

The Remediation and Restoration (R&R) Program uses scientific measures and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to manage industrial chemical risks to human health, and restore healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and traditional foods and medicines in the Akwesasne territory and surrounding environments.

Akwesasne is part of 43 environmentally impacted areas of concern within the Great Lakes River basin. Officially called the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern at Massena/Akwesasne, our territory has impairments to fish, wildlife, plant and river uses. The Tribe works with local, state, and federal agencies to study and remove these impairments through management actions. The partnerships ensure Akwesasne has a say in what happens within our territory.

Superfund oversight at the ALCOA/Arconic, General Motors/RACER and former Reynolds Metals sites guarantees cleanup plans are followed and air and water monitoring is conducted to make sure no contaminants are leaking out threatening the environment or community members. After the remediation activities are completed, long term monitoring will continue to make sure the cleanup was effective.

Brownfields is a property that is, or has the potential to be, contaminated. Our Brownfields program is currently working on three projects within the Akwesasne community; abandoned homes, community-wide petroleum assessments and the Frogtown dump.

In support of many of these projects, the Lake Ontario Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) is a binational plan to protect and restore the health of Lake Ontario by addressing the chemical, biological and physical stressors affecting the lake. Both the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River are included in the scope of the Lake Ontario LAMP.

The Lake Ontario LAMP is led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, DEC, and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The LAMP guides the activities of these and other U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial, and tribal agencies by establishing ecosystem goals, objectives and indicators.

No PCBs in Your Dish - Sea shanty video on our local fish advisory

Publications