Once again, the Horne Foundry is granted the right to poison the people and environment of Rouyn-Noranda.
According to the leaked information, it will be able to emit five times more arsenic into the air than the Quebec norm allows. This is an improvement over what is currently allowed, but it falls short.
injustice
Is the health of Rouyn-Noranda citizens less important than that of other Quebecers?
In 2018, researchers measured four times more arsenic in the bodies of children living near the foundry than in those living in Amos.
Remember that our little ones breathe more, drink more and eat more per body unit than adults. Their immature immune systems and organs make them more vulnerable to pollution than the average population.
Like asbestos and many other pollutants, arsenic is odorless and the health consequences usually only appear years or even decades later.
This gives people a false sense of security. The factual invisibility of risks, no matter how well documented, delays the implementation of necessary solutions.
Willful blindness
Arsenic is a poison. There are no absolutely safe exposure doses.
The 3 ng/m3 standard approved throughout Quebec is already a compromise. Allowing 15 or even 100 like in the last five years is willful blindness.
Arsenic is not only a known carcinogen, but prolonged exposure is also known to be linked to neurological problems such as developmental delays in children and possibly Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
In addition, the population in Rouyn-Noranda inhales a veritable cocktail of chemicals. In addition to arsenic, the melt releases at least 23 other pollutants, including lead, cadmium, nickel, mercury, cobalt, etc.!
The cumulative, multiplicative, and potentially synergistic effects of exposure to all of these pollutants are a concern, albeit underdiscussed.
jobs
I understand that the workers, their union and the entire Rouyn-Noranda community are concerned about jobs at the foundry. In addition to good salaries, Glencore finances culture, sports and many activities that contribute to the immediate well-being of the population.
You shouldn’t have to choose between health and work.
It smacks of manipulation to hear that compliance with the Quebec standard would result in the foundry being closed.
Aside from developing expensive technologies that may not exist (if we believe it), it fully controls the contents of the materials it devours in its kilns.
Hazardous waste from all over the world is melted down there. The concentration of arsenic can reach 19.6% in certain coppers, while even China does not allow imports above 0.5%!
The problem is that right now, what’s the most polluting is also the most profitable.
With the 19 billion in profits it made in the first six months of 2022, Glencore has the means to pollute less. It’s up to the government to force them to comply with Quebec health protection standards.
