Aamjiwnaang wants to see environmental fines and penalties launched against area industries for spills and other infractions, go to the First Nation and affected communities.
A letter from Chief Janelle Nahmabin was sent to Lambton County Council appealing for changes in fine allocation.
It comes after Imperial was recently fined $1.125 million for a spill over three years ago, as well as a victim fine surcharge of $225,000.
The money went to the county.
"It's far too frequent that Aamjiwnaang residents have to accept noise, odour, vibration, harmful chemical exposure and light pollution as well as other impacts," said Nahmabin in the letter. "This letter is to request that fines acquired from the environmental fine and penalty be given directly to Aamjiwnaang. We understand that currently, fines go to the county. However, we are the ones directly impacted as well as south Sarnia residents in this circumstance."
Nahmabin said they are requesting Lambton County Council assist in their pursuit of environmental justice and environmental leadership.
"The current allocation of environmental fines in chemical valley is not helpful to us and we do plan to advocate for change in that," she said.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley attempted to get a meeting between Warden Kevin Marriott, the chief and impacted communities on the books, but no action on the correspondence was taken.
"In discussions in the past were the impacted communities," said Bradley. "Could be the First Nation, could be St. Clair Township, could be Sarnia, whoever. I think it's important because the record a year from now, 10 years from now will be they received and filed the request, and I go back to the land declaration you (Marriott) and I both read at the beginning of the meeting and I learned a long time ago those can be hollow words unless you put them into action."
City/County Councillor Bill Dennis disagreed and accused the Chief of Aamjiwnaang First Nation of having ulterior motives.
"They have an end goal to get rid of chemical valley," said Dennis. "Many of our constituents are employed by chemical valley. They've already put INEOS out of business. We, we can not keep on being weak to these people, we can't. We got to show some, some backbone."
The letter from Nahmabin was received and filed, however, Marriott said that whatever the outcome of the motion, they will consider a meeting.