Senator Charles Schumer is asking United States environmental regulators to work with Canadian officials to stop the city of Montreal's plan to dump 2 billion liters of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the week-long sewage dumping starting Oct. 18 is necessary as the city rebuilds a riverside expressway.
The discharge would be in Canadian waters downstream from U.S. communities.
But Senator Schumer says New York is getting the raw end of the deal and wants the EPA to work with the State Department to stop the plan. “Even though we’re not downstream, it’s very likely to affect our environment and residents and businesses who rely on this waterway.”
EPA spokesman John Martin said the agency lacks regulatory authority in Canada, but will review Schumer's letter and respond accordingly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.