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Protesters told to go home

Indigenous leaders and the Newfoundland and Labrador government are telling protesters at the site of the Muskrat Falls hydro project they can "go home."

The leaders emerged from a marathon meeting with Premier Dwight Ball early Wednesday touting significant progress made to address environmental concerns with the Labrador megaproject.

Ball announced that an independent expert advisory committee made up of provincial, federal, municipal and indigenous groups will be created to monitor the project.

After the meeting, Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe told protesters to go home because they had succeeded in their goals.

"If you are still at the site, within or (outside), or if you are still doing the hunger strike, go home," Lampe said.

"I feel that the progress that has been made today will give the Labrador Inuit the opportunity to go back home to your family, your friends, your children, your grandchildren."

The project is upstream from 2,000 Inuit and other residents in the Lake Melville region, and critics are worried about methylmercury contamination if too many trees are left to rot at the bottom of the reservoir when the 41-square-kilometre area is flooded.

The advisory committee will look at ways to reduce possible contamination and the provincial government is also agreeing to consider further clearing of the Muskrat Falls reservoir if needed.

"Going forward, decisions will be made using science-based research," Ball told reporters after meeting with leaders from the Innu Nation, the Nunatsiavut Government and the NunatuKavut Community Council.

At least some of the protesters said they will leave Wednesday afternoon, while hunger strikers have already posted a picture of themselves resuming eating.



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