Arsenic releases in Rouyn-Noranda | Ottawa could curb emissions from the Horne Smelter

The Trudeau government plans to impose a limit on the level of contaminants contained in hazardous recyclable materials imported into the country, which could have the effect of reducing arsenic discharges from the Horne Foundry in Rouyn-Noranda.

Jean-Thomas Léveillé
The Press

The Federal Ministry for the Environment and Climate Change published a call for tenders to obtain “scientific and technical expertise” on the issue on October 20.

Ottawa thus wishes to “determine whether specific substances have a link with waste, recyclable materials or end-of-life products. [et] validate or establish and recommend limit thresholds for [ces] substances”, details the document.

“The Horne Foundry is obviously concerned,” said Philippe Ouzilleau, assistant professor specializing in metallurgical engineering at McGill University, who noted that the call for tenders mentions as recyclable materials that may contain contaminants “electronic waste, batteries, electronic devices”, which the company belonging to the multinational Glencore recycles.

The call for tenders also emphasizes that the hazardous substances to be studied can be imported in “solid” or “sludge” form.

No limit

Canada does not currently limit the levels of various contaminants, such as arsenic, contained in hazardous recyclable materials imported into the country – however, an import permit is required to import into Canada any material containing more than 2.5% (or 2.5 milligrams per liter) of arsenic.

Other countries, however, impose such limits, such as China, which prohibits a concentration of arsenic greater than 0.5% in imported materials, underlines Philippe Ouzilleau.

The Horne Foundry receives materials with considerably higher arsenic levels; for example, it received from an unidentified supplier 2,246 tonnes of materials with an arsenic concentration of 19.7%, in 2020, its data show.

However, these materials were not necessarily imported, since 70% of the inputs processed at the Horne Smelter come from Canada, the company told The Press.

Of the 30% imported, two-thirds come from the United States and the remaining third comes from the rest of the world, said Cindy Caouette, spokesperson for the company.

Impact on foundry releases

A possible limit on the level of arsenic contained in the recyclable materials imported by the Horne Foundry would probably not allow the concentration of arsenic in the air to be lowered to the Quebec standard of 3 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m^⁠3), believes Philippe Ouzilleau.

“However, I believe it could significantly accelerate the achievement [de la cible gouvernementale de] 15ng/m^⁠3 if this measure is combined with the efforts […] ongoing,” he said.

Such a limit would also have a financial impact for the Horne Foundry, believes Mr. Ouzilleau.

The Foundry could ask its suppliers to dilute their materials in order to respect a given threshold of contaminants, which is common in the copper industry, notes the professor.

“It’s a practice that works to lower average arsenic emissions as long as the average arsenic level in the ore goes down,” he says.

However, “if you dilute, you increase the weight; maybe it becomes awfully less profitable, ”postulates lawyer Philippe Biuzzi, from the Center québécois du droit de l’environnement.

Ottawa could act immediately

The use of external expertise shows that federal officials are questioning their powers, says lawyer Philippe Biuzzi.

“If they are making this call for tenders, it is because for themselves, there is uncertainty about the power of intervention of regulations and legislation, currently,” he said.

However, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act gives them all the latitude they need to act, he believes.

“If what the government wants is to put a maximum threshold, it can do it,” he decides.

However, the expertise sought seems to be difficult to find; the call for tenders launched in October by Ottawa replaces a previous one, which had been canceled for lack of bidders.

Professor Philippe Ouzilleau is not surprised, pointing out that it could be difficult for a consulting engineering firm with this expertise to fulfill such a mandate, when it could have contracts with companies affected by a possible limit. .

Although it could have an impact on the Horne Foundry, this call for tenders does not target it “specifically”, specified to The Press the office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault.

His ministry “continues to review all available information” to determine if further action is necessary with respect to the Horne Smelter, said his press secretary, Kaitlin Power.