A group of Republican state lawmakers from Midwestern states filed a complaint over smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Republican state Reps. Austin Harris of Iowa, Elliott Engen of Minnesota, Calvin Callahan of Wisconsin, and state Sen. Clare Cory of North Dakota signed the letter. The Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast have been experiencing poor air quality conditions for weeks due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
“Enough is enough. We owe it to our constituents, especially our kids, seniors, and those with respiratory issues, to fight for clean air. If Canada can’t get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences. We won’t sit back while our air becomes a health hazard,” Callahan said.
The letter was sent to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission, the latter of which was established to prevent and solve disputes along the border regarding air quality and shared waters.
The lawmakers said they want to solve their dispute through international law. They asked both parties to respond within 30 days.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew accused the state Republicans of throwing a “timber tantrum” and playing “political games” with their complaint. He noted that firefighters from the United States have been aiding Canada in firefighting, and that Canadian firefighters were aiding the U.S. when California saw widespread fires earlier this year.
“These are attention-seekers who can’t come up with a good idea on healthcare or on making life more affordable,” Kinew told the Canadian Press. “So they’re playing games with something that’s very serious.”
He added that he does not “generalize these attention-seekers’ misguided words to all Americans.”
FEMA’S FORK IN THE ROAD: ABOLITION OR SEAT AT THE CABINET
There are currently around 737 active fires across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Manitoba has seen the highest amount of fires this season.
At the federal level in the House, Reps. Elise Stefanik and Nick Langworthy, both New York Republicans, coauthored a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney outlining the impact of smoke in their state. They are asking Canada to increase wildfire prevention resources and have requested more collaboration between the U.S. and Canada on the problem.