Cancer causing emissions triple at Belledune smelter
Posted by tracy on October 22nd, 2008
Air pollution results for 2007 just released by Environment Canada’s national pollution registry (NPRI – www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri) reveal that cancer-causing arsenic emissions from Xstrata’s Belledune smelter have tripled from 2006 levels. The amount of arsenic released to the air has increased from 3084 kilograms in 2006 to 9254 kilograms in 2007. Emissions of lead, cadmium and mercury have increased as well.
The Conservation Council wants the Minister of Environment to require Xstrata to cut its hazardous air emissions immediately.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:25 am
- It is my understanding that the Smelter in Belledune is and has been slowly closing it’s doors for a number of years now. They have been doing this by offering early retirement packages, and relocating workers that are willing and able to relocate. The number of employees at the smelter has decreased and therefore jobs that are not considered essential, such as routine maintenance work, is being put off for longer intervals, or not being completed at all.
Air pollution control devises are highly susceptible to negligent use. You can have the top of the line system, but if it’s not getting regular maintenance – it’s not working properly. If you take a look at the historical NPRI records for this site, you’ll see there has been a trend in rising pollutant levels since around 2003 when the shut-down first started.
- Secondly, I heard a response to this story on the radio this morning saying that the tests are only representative of a day and therefore not representative of general operations. This is BS. Three separate tests are required per stack to be performed on three separate days. Whoever was performing the tests, probably performed them last year as well, and the year before. So, they would have warned the smelter of the rising pollutant levels. The smelter is fully aware that their air pollution emission levels are increasing and they know the reasons.