The Horne smelter has been in operation in Rouyn-Noranda since 1926. Its history has been marked by numerous environmental struggles aimed at protecting the health of the population (exposure to sulphur, lead, etc.). The particular situation of high atmospheric concentrations of arsenic has been known since at least 2004.
Arsenic is a non-threshold carcinogen (the likelihood of an effect increases from zero exposure dose). The standard established by the Quebec Ministry of the Environment is 3 ng/m3, a standard at which the health risk is considered to be negligible. From 15 ng/m3, neurocognitive effects have been described in some studies on children.
Since 2004, the Ministry of the Environment has negotiated with the company to lower arsenic emissions following advice from experts who considered it urgent that the situation be restored. The target is set at 200 ng/m3 (in 2007, 2012 and 2017) and 100 ng/m3 from 2021. The company must renegotiate this certificate every 5 years, the next negotiation is in progress and must be signed in the fall of 2022.
In 2018, public health showed a high rate of arsenic impregnation in the nails of children in the Notre-Dame district, which revived the debate on the subject. In 2019, public health extends its analysis to adults in the Notre-Dame district and once again demonstrates significant impregnation. In 2021, the average concentration of arsenic in the air measured at the smelter’s legal measuring station was 87 ng/m3, nearly 30 times the standard of 3 ng/m3 set by the Ministry of Health. Environment of Quebec.
In 2022, Public Health releases health surveillance data that reports more lung cancers in Rouyn-Noranda, more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), more low birth weight weight and reduced life expectancy.
In light of these facts, the signatory physicians wish to address this communication to the Premier of Quebec, François Legault.
Considering the recent data published by public health in connection with the increase in the rates of cancers, intrauterine growth retardation and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) as well as the overall reduction in life expectancy in the CKD from Rouyn-Noranda;
Considering the overexposure of the population of Rouyn-Noranda to many atmospheric pollutants (among others arsenic, heavy metals, etc.) in quantities far exceeding the standards established by the Ministry of the Environment for several years;
Considering the precautionary principle which, even in the absence of a demonstrated causal link between adverse health outcomes and air pollution, encourages us to consider that, in the light of a potential risk to the health of the population, it would be prudent to return to the standards established and deemed safe by the ministry;
Considering the principle of equity which presupposes that the citizens of Rouyn-Noranda should be able to enjoy air quality that does not compromise their health, in the same way as other citizens of Quebec;
Considering the major economic impact of an increase in cancers and chronic diseases within the population;
Considering the expected overload on our health system, already at full capacity, from this increase in patients to whom we want to offer the quality care to which they are entitled;
Considering the impact on the attractiveness and recruitment of specialized labor (among others for the Regional Radiation Oncology Centre) in a context where it is unattractive for new arrivals to settle in a city where there are significant risks to the health of populations;
Considering the renewal of the decontamination certificate between the company and the Ministry of the Environment scheduled for the fall of 2022, which will set the emission reduction targets for atmospheric pollutants to be respected for the named company.
The physicians who signed this letter demand that Mr. François Legault, Premier of Quebec, immediately demand a return to the same standards as all of Quebec for exposure to atmospheric contaminants (arsenic and other heavy metals and contaminants), which are considered safe for health by experts from the Ministry of the Environment.
*Also signed this letter:
Clodel Naud-Bellavance, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Vincent L’Écuyer, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Julie Desroches, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Louise Chantal, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Julie Richer, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Marie-Josée Morier, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Nancy Brisson, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Sonia Latour, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Geneviève Pinho, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Marie-Josée Paquin, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Isabelle Richard, internist, Rouyn-Noranda
Marilou Vaillancourt, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Marie-Aimée Lavigne, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Gabrielle Bergeron, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Simon Plourde, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Christine Gagnon, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Frédéric Bonin, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Marie-Joelle Turgeon, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Pierre Luc Thériault, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Alain Moukheiber, otolaryngologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Samer Tabchi, hemato-oncologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Julie Héroux, internist, Rouyn-Noranda
Guillaume Barbès-Morin, psychiatrist, Rouyn-Noranda
Judith Parenteau, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Lyette Gauvreau, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Christian Dubé, psychiatrist, Rouyn-Noranda
Philippe Akil psychiatrist, Rouyn-Noranda
Renée Lamontagne, psychiatrist, Rouyn-Noranda
Claire Chalfoun, psychiatrist, Val d’Or Félicia Badescu, psychiatrist Val d’Or
Jean-Michel Beau, psychiatrist, Malartic
Mohamed Sadek, psychiatrist, La Sarre
Claudy Lemieux, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Marie-Pierre Boutin, front-line specialist nurse practitioner, Rouyn-Noranda
Christian Etel, anesthesiologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Alexandre Viau, general surgeon, Rouyn-Noranda
Marc Zanaty, urologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Julie Choquette, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Laurence Lapointe, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Yela Peter Ndjadi, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Justin Langevin, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Michelle Blagdon, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Yolaine Fournier, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Camille Parayre, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Vanessa Brouillard, family doctor, Rouyn-Noranda
Geneviève Boisvert, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Mohamed Albahiti, ophthalmologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Kahina Zeroual, ophthalmologist, Rouyn-Noranda
Assaad Taktak, pediatrician, Rouyn-Noranda
Santa Rabeantoandro, pediatrician Rouyn-Noranda
Walid Laref, otolaryngologist, Val d’Or
Bechara Baz, general surgeon, Rouyn-Noranda
Anie Payment-Lamothe, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda
Tanguy Veret, family physician, Rouyn-Noranda