Air pollution results for 2007 just released by Environment Canada’s national pollution registry reveal that cancer-causing arsenic emissions from Xstrata’s Belledune smelter have tripled from 2006 levels.
The Conservation Council reports air pollution results for 2007
just released by Environment Canada’s
national pollution registry reveal that cancer-causing arsenic emissions from Xstrata’s Belledune smelter have tripled from 2006 levels.
The amount of arsenic released to the air was 3084 kilograms in 2006 and 9254 kilograms in 2007. Emissions of lead, cadmium and mercury have increased as well.
“We haven’t seen these levels of arsenic emissions from the smelter since the 1970s”, said Inka Milewski, the Conservation Council’s science advisor and Director of Health Watch. “Arsenic is a known carcinogen and the residents of Belledune don’t need any further exposure to carcinogens given the results of Xstrata’s soil study in Belledune.”
The Xstrata soil study released earlier this year found Belledune residents faced a higher risk of getting cancer from breathing in arsenic than a typical New Brunswicker and that their risk was higher than the acceptable provincial health guideline.
The results confirmed the findings of the 2005 Belledune Area Health study. The study was funded by the Health Department, and found that Belledune area residents had higher rates of lung, prostate, oral and potentially skin, colorectal and kidney cancer than the rest of the province.
“The smelter is processing increasing amounts of electronic wastes such as televisions and computers and waste ash and sludges, but has not been required to update their pollution controls,” said David Coon, the Conservation Council’s Executive Director.
“Since 1995, the smelter has gone from primarily smelting ore to recycling hazardous metal wastes without any environmental assessment of the impacts on public or environmental health,” said Coon.
The Conservation Council wants the Minister of Environment to require Xstrata to cut its hazardous air emissions immediately.
“These emissions are a threat to public health because of their cancer risk,” said Milewski.
“Arsenic levels have got to be reduced to the point where the cancer risk is brought down below New Brunswick’s Department of Health’s guideline,” she said.
I have been following this story in the local media for the past two years; it gets regular coverage but seems to be getting little action.
