Second 30-Day Review of proposed amendments to Sanitary Conditions Law to begin next week

09/14/2011

The Lands Unit of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the community that the second 30-day review of the draft amendments to the Sanitary Conditions Law will commence on Monday, 19 Seskehkó:wa/September and end on Tuesday, 18 Kenténha/October.

As indicated in the Community Decision Making Process, this type of legislation (known as ‘Type II’) must go to a community review process consisting of at least one 30-day review and up to three public readings. An initial 30-day review period was held in the spring, with a First Reading held on 9, Onerahtohkó:wa/May.

The amendments are being proposed to address unregulated materials entering the Territory and to protect the community from any environmental contamination and risks to health and public safety.

The latest draft of the proposed amendments will be available next Monday at the MCK Capital Unit reception (next to Kateri School), the reception desk at the MCK main building, and online at www.kahnawakemakingdecisions.com (Under the Proposed Legislation tab).

Once the 30-day review is completed, community members will be invited to a Second Reading, at which time the draft amendments will be officially read and community feedback from the review will be shared.

Community members are reminded that the Sanitary Conditions Law is not a new document but, rather, an existing law originally enacted in 1968. The proposed amendments must go through the Community Decision Making Process because it is necessary to change parts of the law itself to allow for the creation of regulations, which currently cannot be done as the law now stands.

Anyone interested in giving their feedback should contact either Heather Jacobs-Whyte (Lands Unit, 450-638-8244 or heather.jacobs@mck.ca) or Eva Johnson (Kahnawà:ke Environmental Protection Office, 450-635-9554 or eva.johnson@mck.ca).