Liberal leader Dominique Anglade tried for the second time in two days to clarify her role in the renewal of an arsenic standard deemed dangerous.
She was Minister of the Economy in 2017 when the Couillard government renewed a standard for the Horne foundry in Rouyn-Noranda that exceeds the Quebec standard by 33 times.
The company that owns the factory, Glencore, had a lobbying mandate which was then aimed at the Ministry of the Economy.
“I, as minister, was in no way involved in the renewal of the certificate, assured Ms. Anglade on Sunday at a press conference. As Minister of the Economy, I was not involved in any links to be made with public health. »
However, she was called upon to clarify her thoughts, namely whether the company had put pressure on or had discussions concerning the jobs to be maintained to ensure the renewal of the standard.
“I never had discussions on the economic plan on the Glencore file, I did not have discussions in terms of employment,” she continued.
Have economic issues been addressed when renewing the authorisation? “Not with me, I assure you. »
On tour in Abitibi on Saturday, Ms. Anglade said she did not know that the arsenic standard authorized in 2017 at the Horne smelter was dangerous to health.
In 2004, Public Health had already warned the authorities about the carcinogenic dangers of arsenic.
But she had not explained precisely her role in this decision or the approval process in place, despite repeated questions from journalists.
“I have never had anything in my possession that said it had an impact on people’s public health,” she insisted.
She had assured that she had not had any discussions on this issue.
She accused the CAQ government of hiding a 2019 report on the dangers of arsenic issued by the foundry.
The plant has the right to emit up to 100 nanograms of arsenic per cubic meter, while the standard is 3 nanograms elsewhere in Quebec. The authorization has been renewed for five years and must be renewed no later than November 2022.
The certificate was issued to Glencore by an official from the Ministry of the Environment on November 20, 2017.
In a recent report, scientists from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) wrote that “historic arsenic and cadmium emissions from the Horne smelter are associated with an estimated increased risk of cancer exceeding the risk threshold considered negligible in Quebec”.
However, as early as 2004, a report by a working group from the INSPQ and the Ministry of the Environment stated: “Given the carcinogenic nature of arsenic, the working group considers that it is necessary to adopt a preventive approach aimed at reducing the levels of exposure of the population as much as possible. »
Ms. Anglade estimated on Saturday that the Public Health Department also has its share of responsibility.