Montreal Sewage Dump Given Green Light By Environment Minister Catherine McKenna

Montreal can begin dumping eight billion litres of untreated sewage into the St. Lawrence River if certain risk-mitigating conditions are met, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said Monday, calling the situation "less than ideal" but the best solution to the city's waste water crisis.

Before the city can dump the sewage into the river it needs create an emergency plan for unintended problems, keep a close watch on the discharge and deploy measures to clean up affected areas, McKenna said during a media conference call from Paris.

Plastic Microbeads Polluting St. Lawrence River, McGill Researchers Find

They're normally found in face wash, shower gel and toothpaste. But plastic microbeads are now showing up in lakes and rivers.

A team of researchers from McGill University and the Quebec government have discovered these microbeads — often marketed by the cosmetic industry as a way to feel extra clean — at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.