"HED warns SN people of the danger of Montour's tire plant"

SIX NATIONS - Protesters have halted construction on former Chief Councillor Bill Montour's Tuscarora Road tire recycling plant.

The orderly demonstration at the construction site, last Thursday morning, ended when Montour gave his assurance to Wendell Froman, of the Hodenushonnee Environment Delegation (HED), that work would cease until after public meetings dealing with the project have been held.

Froman presented Montour with a letter from the Confederacy which said: "You, the proponents (Montour Industries and Sherwood Corporation) of the tire recycling facility have not come forth to propose this idea to the Confederacy Council. At this time we must insist on the immediate halt of construction. Without the expressed and written permission of the Confederacy Council, your project cannot be located within the community of Six Nations at the Grand River."

Montour's promise to stop construction satisfied the small group of protesters. "Our intent, which we accomplished, was to halt construction," said Froman, "My phone has been ringing off the wall with people calling to express their concern."

"My phone has been ringing off the wall with people calling looking for jobs," said Montour.

Montour has to secure an exemption from the Confederacy's ban on the importation of outside waste before he will be allowed to proceed with construction, said Froman, who would not speculate on what he thought Montour's chances of getting that exemption would be.

Montour is willing to meet the people.

"The people here don't understand the process. I'm willing to explain it to them," said Montour. The former Chief Councillor, who resigned as chief of staff at the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa at the end of March, made a presentation to Band Council at the general meeting last Tuesday. He showed council a video which explained the Thermal Distillation process which will break down tires into their component parts for recycling.

Montour emphasized that the economy has changed forever and young people desperately need the kind of employment his plant could provide. Band Council was cautious about embracing Montour's plan although a number of councillors agreed that economic development and employment are important issues for Six Nations.

Montour told council he would proceed with construction of the plant even if he did not receive council's blessing, "I have to. It's my economic future."

"I'm broke. Everything I have is in this project," he added.

Montour feels the main obstacle to getting his recycling plant up and running is convincing people that the tires he is bringing into Six Nations are raw materials for a safe, environmentally friendly industrial process and not garbage.

That will be a hard sell. One protester who did not want to be named said, "Garbage is garbage. That's it. That's all."

Six Nations Police were present to keep order at the protest. Froman said officers threatened him with arrest if he went on Montour's property. Police Sergeant Rocky Smith denied that, saying officers merely explained to protesters that they could not trespass on private property.

Afterwards, Montour was asked what he would do if there was a lengthy delay in construction.

"I might have to go on welfare," he snapped. After reconsidering his answer, he added, "No, I'm too stinking proud to do that. I'd clean shit-houses before I'd go on welfare."

No date for a public meeting has been announced. Montour met with HED on Monday.