The Republican senator’s comment comes as the Midwest continues to feel the impact of wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.
INDIANA (WNDU) – Indiana Senator Jim Banks (R) is calling for sanctions against Canada as wildfire smoke continues impacting the U.S.
Communities throughout the Great Lakes region started feeling the impact of wildfire smoke drifting from Canada and northern Minnesota on July 16. Air quality on July 17 reached the “hazardous” level, the worst rating.
Banks says Canada should be accountable for the dangers caused by the unhealthy air.
“Every summer, Canada burns. Every summer, we have to deal with their heavy smoke & hazardous air quality. Every summer, they tell us they’ll take action to fix this mess and they never do,” Banks posted on Facebook. “Our patience has run out, the time for excuses is over, & if they won’t fix this, we will.”
WNDU’s Joshua Short spoke with Banks, asking him what he means in his post.
“I think it’s time to sanction Canada, hold them accountable for it,” Banks says. “They should pay the cost of it. They should supplement the healthcare cost for Hoosiers and for Americans who are affected by this.”
Banks says the U.S. should send a bill to Canada, demanding they pay the costs associated with damage caused by the smoke.
President Donald Trump echoed Banks sentiment in a Truth Social post, which Banks shared a screenshot of on Facebook.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump wrote.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management issued Air Quality Action Days for the Michiana region through Monday, July 20. The alerts cover all of northwest, north central and northeast Indiana.
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