Mississauga First Nation is on a reserve near Blind River, in an area of southern Ontario known as Chemical Valley. Forty percent of Canada’s petro chemical industry operates in Chemical Valley.

According to Environment Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), 131 million kilograms of pollutants were released from 46 plants in Chemical Valley in 2005. NPRI reports that local plants also collectively emitted 16.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2005. Imperial Oil, Nova, Shell, Suncor and Cabot are the companies that lead in emissions of carbon dioxide, volatile organic chemicals, hormone disruptors and heavy metals.

A 1998-2003 health survey of residents of a nearby (Aamjiwnaang First Nation) reserve showed that nearly 40 percent of the women experienced miscarriages or stillbirths compared to the Canadian average of 25 percent. The study showed over 20 percent of the children had learning disabilities compared to 4 percent of the general Canadian population. And for a decade, local women had been giving birth to girls at a rate of 2:1 times more than boys. Researchers suspect the sex disparity in births and high cancer rate in the area are linked to chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which cause disorders in the messages delivered by the reproductive hormones that guide human development.

Mississauga First Nation recently signed a contract with Global Community Monitor to start an air monitoring program.