Tyendinaga cave open to public after 14 years

Tyendinaga Township, Canada – Tweed resident Charles Koch has spent a great deal of the past five years in a cave.

Koch has been preparing the Tyendinaga Cave for its opening to the public which takes place this weekend, May 17.

Koch and his wife Elizabeth purchased the Harmony Road property with the cave on it 14 years ago. Since then, they've been exploring, collecting and identifying fossils, and preparing the site for visitors.

via Community Press

[Chas Patrick]

I saw the Tyendinaga Caves today and I have to say it was impressive. Charles has done and incredible job with this and the Main Cave is awesome and bigger than anyone that I've personally been in. I've been to the Bonnechere Caves and although they are impressive, I think the Tyendinaga Caves are AWESOME! We even saw a couple of bats just hanging out. The tour is $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children and well worth it. There is even a side cave off the main one that the kids and Wife went in to check out. There is a big open area with picnic tables and ample parking. The tour starts out with a great exhibit of fossils found right on the 70 acre + property.

[sounding more familiar]

Emergency Crisis in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
Quick Facts

• According to a report looking at Tyendinaga Dump,“The existing landfill has been in operation since 1968.

It was not designed with a liner, containment or a leechate collection system and does not meet the design standards of a licensed landfill.”

• May 1993- Before construction of Kingston Condos could begin, 2 acres of soil, 9 feet deep had to be removed from an industrial site that served as a coal storage facility from the late 1800’s.
• June 10, 1993- In a letter from the Ministry of Environment, the identified soil contained elevated levels of cancer causing polyaromatic hydrocarbons, metals and other contaminates.

The soil, in question, did not meet the definition of “inert fill” and was classified as “industrial waste”. Further, the soil could only be dumped at a “licensed landfill” site capable of handling such matter.

• August 18, 1993- 113 tandum loads/10820 cubic meters of this contaminated waste was deposited at the Tyendinaga site.

• November 21, 2001- Eight years later, in a report prepared for Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, it was discovered that cancer causing volatile organic compounds and metals had entered and contaminated the groundwater in the area surrounding the landfill.

Benzene, Antimony, Barium, Chromium, Mercury and Selenium were all detected at levels that far exceeded the Federal and Provincial guidelines for safe drinking water. The report goes on to say that the

“ Area is serviced by individual water wells and there are active drinking water wells in this area, including Quinte Mohawk School that sits 600 meters to the west of the site”.

• April 21, 2004- Chief RD Maracle issued a press release after a number of community members raised concerns that contaminated water was causing skin sores and blisters on their children’s bodies. Chief Maracle stated that a decision was made to develop and implement a water monitoring program to protect community members and the water supply. However, no such program or water tests have been completed to date.

• 2012-Three children, in seven months, have been diagnosed with leukemia. Leukemia is a rare cancer that attacks 3 people out of every 100,000 in the general population.

• 2012- 6 cases of leukemia have been confirmed from Tyendinagas population of 2600.

• Band members are reporting other incidents of cancer, sickness, skin boils and blisters
please spread the word. any input could save lives