Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
I want to talk a little bit about the impact on indigenous communities. Members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, who live near chemical valley, have increased rates of asthma, reproductive effects, learning disabilities and cancer. Beze Gray, an Anishinabe land and water protector from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, said this:
Pollution has impacted food sovereignty. People in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation are losing access to traditional food sources due to the impact of pollution in the area.... It is also impacting the traditional language. Because pollution has wiped out so many things in their community, we have lost traditional words. And we don’t have traditional words for the pollution that surrounds us.
Ms. McArthur, I'm wondering if you could speak to some of the far-reaching impacts of environmental racism. This includes access to clean drinking water and clean air, and access to green space as well.