The Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) on Friday unveiled a list of eight companies that have the right to contravene environmental standards on emissions into the air, water and land, which does not mean that these factories exceed these standards.
Last week, some media and politicians reported that 89 companies were deviating from existing pollution laws, but this is not the case according to information given to journalists during a technical briefing by the Ministry of Environment and the fight against climate change.
About ten days ago, the Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, told radio host Paul Arcand that 89 companies were polluting beyond provincial environmental standards, information relayed by the media and politicians.
But these 89 establishments are the subject of a ministerial authorization relating to the operation of an industrial establishment, also called “certificate of sanitation”, which does not mean that they do not respect the laws in force.
The Ministry of the Environment made a point of correcting the information by specifying that only eight companies out of the 89 which have sanitation certificates have “the right” not to respect the standards.
What’s more, just because these eight companies have the right to exceed standards doesn’t mean they do.
For example, Rio Tinto is on this list, but complies with the standards in force according to the ministry, unlike the Horne smelter, which is among the violators.
Of the six other companies on the list, the Ministry of the Environment was unable on Friday to specify whether some of them exceeded the standards indicated on their sanitation certificate.
In a press release that accompanied the list of companies that have a sanitation certificate, the MELCC specified that, of the 89 establishments, “12 are no longer in operation and 69 have been subject to stricter requirements and standards. or similar to the regulations applicable in Quebec”.
He adds that “only eight establishments have been granted, after the upgrading of certain regulations, some exceptions for sometimes historical reasons or, for example, during maintenance work”.
Companies that are allowed to emit more pollutants than provincial standards:
- The WestRock company of Canada, in La Tuque in Mauricie, has the right in particular to emit twice as much nitrogen oxides as the provincial standard for a period of one hour, i.e. 828 μg / m3 (micrograms per cubic meter). It is also allowed to exceed the standard for chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
- Kruger Wayagamack, located in Trois-Rivières, is authorized to emit into the air twice as much hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide as is permitted elsewhere in the province.
- The Rio Tinto Alcan smelter, for the Arvida and Laterrière plants, in the city of Saguenay, and the Elkem Métal Canada smelter, also located in the city of Saguenay, may exceed the standards for the emission of “certain fine particles “. These particles are not identified in the documents published by the Ministry of the Environment and, according to a deputy minister, it is because “these particles, taken individually, meet the standards”.
- The Rayonier Advanced Materials industrial complex, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, has an authorization to exceed the province’s standards for sulfur dioxide, but documents from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that “the Direction de health impacts for PM 2.5 fine particles [qui mesurent moins de 2,5 µm] and requested that the plant be subject to an ambient air standard in its next sanitation certificate, the renewal of which is in progress”.
- The case of the Nordic Kraft pulp and paper mill, located in Lebel-sur-Quévillon, is special. It has an authorization which technically allows it to pollute more, but “it is not currently subject to an ambient air standard” for sulfur dioxide, because “the establishment was out of operation between 2005 and 2019 “. Ministry documents indicate that “considering the resumption of operations since 2019, the authorization renewal process has begun to include standards for this contaminant”.
- Finally, the Horne foundry in Rouyn-Noranda completes the list. An agreement with the government allows the smelter’s arsenic emissions to reach an annual average of 100 ng/m3 (nanograms per cubic meter), i.e. 33 times more than the Quebec standard of 3 ng / m3. The process to renew the remediation certificate is underway, and the Horne smelter plans to invest $500 million to achieve an arsenic emission threshold of 15 ng / m3 in 2027, as requested by Public Health and the Ministry of the Environment.
Public Health wants to be reassuring
After the publication of the list of eight companies that have the right to exceed the standards, Public Health issued a press release to reassure the population by indicating that each file was subject to surveillance.
“In light of the information provided, the majority of these do not generate major concerns and, for some, the general situation seems to be improving, which reassures us. We will do everything necessary to deepen our understanding of these situations so that, if necessary, concrete solutions are put forward so that citizens continue to benefit from the environmental conditions necessary for their health and well-being. “said the D.r Luc Boileau, national director of public health.