Glencore Canada accused and liable to a minimum fine of $ 30,000

The episode of black dust, which soiled a large perimeter in March 2023 in Rouyn-Noranda, applied to Glencore Canada, owner of the Horne Foundry, an accusation of the director of criminal and criminal proceedings.

On March 7, 2023, gusts of wind raised copper concentrate dust containing arsenic and stored outside. This same winter, a few days earlier, other industrial waste had been swept away by the wind, this time on land located near Lake Pelletier, still in Rouyn-Noranda.

The Ministry of the Environment is unequivocal in its press release: The presence of this contaminant in the environment is likely to harm life, health, safety, well-being or comfort of the human being.

Under articles 20 and 21 of the environmental quality law, No one may reject a contaminant in the environment or allow such a rejection beyond the quantity or concentration determined in accordance with this law et that anyone who is responsible for an accidental rejection, in the environment, for a contaminant referred to in article 2 or a dangerous subject must, without delay, notify the minister.

The accusation signified on April 30, but published by press release this Friday by the ministry, stems from an investigation initiated following an emergency-environment intervention for the rejection of copper concentrate on March 7, 2023.

No comments will be issued by the ministry who claims not to want harm the equity and integrity of the judicial process.

Preventive opinion of public health

The snow covered with these black dust had been the subject of a preventive opinion from the integrated health and social services center of Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Analyzes had been carried out on snow near schools and daycares in the Notre-Dame district in Rouyn-Noranda, very close to the Horne foundry. For its part, the company argued that the concentrates stored outside did not contain arsenic.

The results of the analyzes of the Ministry of the Environment then revealed that the soiled snow contained significant concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, nickel and lead, especially in the courtyard of Notre-Dame-de-Protection primary school.

One of the samples contained up to 137 times more arsenic than the Quebec standard in terms of soil contamination.

The children in the neighborhood were exhibited for several days at these dust. It was not until March 11, four days after the contaminants’ flight, for a preventive opinion of public health and ten more days for the Ministry of the Environment required the decontamination of the land, including the Court of the Notre-Dame-de-Protection School.

As early as April 2023, the Ministry of the Environment mentioned the possibility of prosecution against the Horne foundry and a fine of $ 10,000 had been imposed for Another breachwithout specifying more.

The company had also been summoned to improve its practices in order to prevent other concentrate leaks from occurring. Since then, the Horne foundry has added a dome to store its concentrate and had to continue various adjustments to reduce transport on the site.

Note that the ministerial authorization issued in March 2023 specifies that storage of concentrate outside must be under certain conditions on the site of the foundry.