Aamjiwnaang leads new path forward at UN plastics treaty talks – Ecojustice

November 25 2024

The fifth and final round of the United Nation’s global plastics treaty negotiations kicks off this week in the Republic of Korea. More than 4,000 representatives from around the world are gathering together at INC-5 to work towards a legally binding agreement to tackle the urgent environmental and health impacts of the plastic pollution crisis.

As the last round of talks unfolded in Ottawa earlier this year, the community of Aamjiwnaang First Nation was forced to declare a State of Emergency. Dangerous levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical used in the production of plastic, caused community members to fall ill and sent some to hospital.

Dangerously high air pollution levels are not an isolated event in Aamjiwnaang; it is a reality their community has lived with every day for decades. Their community is located near Sarnia, Ontario. The large concentration of petrochemical and industrial facilities around the community has earned the area its grim nickname, Chemical Valley.

Read More: https://ecojustice.ca/news/aamjiwnaang-first-nation-leads-new-path-forward-at-un-plastics-treaty-negotiations/