The new Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh is joining the call for an investigation after a dock collapse and spill on the U.S. side of the Detroit River.
The spill, on the property of Detroit Bulk Storage across from West Windsor, was on November 26, but it was almost a week before officials on either side of the border were notified.
Irek Kusmierczyk said that was not acceptable, and said he would like to see a review of the protocols governing the storage of contaminants on waterways shared between the U.S. and Canada. He said he has spoken directly with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Johnathan Wilkinson, and has been in touch with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland's office. Freeland's portfolio is Intergovernmental Affairs.
In a statement released Sunday night, Kusmierczyk said, "The health and safety of residents, as well as the health and quality of the Detroit River and Great Lakes ecosystems, are paramount. I will continue to follow this matter closely."
The Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy conducted several tests of the water after the spill and said there was no radiation beyond what is normal. However, Kusmierczyk admitted the department still has not said what was spilled.
"It is my understanding that they're looking at that right away," he said.
Kusmierczyk is not the first Canadian official to respond to news of the spill. Last week, Windsor West MP Brian Masse called for an investigation and a study by the International Joint Commission on the Great Lakes.
"We need a bi-national response," he said. "The water doesn't understand boundaries, and it's important for drinking capacity and also for our environmental protection."
Kusmiercyzk said government authorities on both sides of the border are investigating, including the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this past October it would start to clean up many other contaminated sites along the Detroit River. That clean-up is expected to take decades.