(Montreal) The Ministry of National Defense recognized on Wednesday afternoon the presence of perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in the waters and soils of its Bagotville base, in Saguenay.
Minister Anita Anand said in a statement that “PFAS were found at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville around the former firefighter training area on the south side of the base, as well as near hangars, buildings and water retention ponds on the north side of the base”.
These substances could come from the extinguishing foams that were used by firefighters during training for several decades until a decade ago. Today, although foams are still used in emergencies to put out fuel fires, water is used for training.
The Ministry of Defense says it is working with the City of Saguenay and Quebec on this issue.
“We are committed to managing the effects of our operational legacy responsibly and doing our part to protect the health of Canadians,” said Ms.me Anand, who said the department will continue to “monitor drinking water quality at the base and conduct further environmental studies to determine if there is a link between the sources of PFAS at the base and those found at the boundary of property”.
The City of Saguenay, which says it was invited to a presentation by the ministry on PFAS, would make the link between the substances observed on the military base and in the drinking water of one of its sectors.
“Although perfluorinated compounds find their way into the environment in different ways, [les mousses ignifuges] would largely explain the data obtained for the borough of La Baie,” the municipality said in a press release.
8000 people concerned
The City of Saguenay specifies that “unusual results [de SPFA] have been registered for a specific sector of the borough of La Baie”. Some 8,000 residents are affected by this situation, but “the water remains drinkable”, we can read.
It was during a sampling campaign carried out from November 2022 to February 2023 by the Quebec Ministry of the Environment that the presence of PFAS was detected.
The City implemented measures as soon as the first results were available, in December, by closing a well used on an ad hoc basis which presented unusual results. It then began its own sampling campaigns to obtain a complete portrait of the situation.
“As soon as I noticed the situation, just a few weeks ago, I contacted the various levels of government to obtain the necessary support. Also, all the municipal services concerned have been used to find applicable solutions as soon as possible, ”says the mayoress of Saguenay, Julie Dufour, in the press release.
Temporary measures will first be put in place and will be operational by January. This involves recovering the perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances at the outlet of the wells and disposing of them appropriately.
In addition, residents who have a private well in the targeted area will be connected to the water system.
On a more permanent basis, the City is looking to identify a new source of drinking water to build a treatment and distribution facility.
The other sectors of Saguenay have “only weak traces of perfluorinated compounds on the majority of its territory, the values obtained being well below the possible standards which could be established by the levels of government”, indicates the City.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are “very persistent in the environment”, according to the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec. “Chronic exposure [ou à long terme] certain PFASs may be associated with health effects”, although there remains uncertainty in the scientific community as to their severity.