Article author:
The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — The owner of a copper smelter in western Quebec says it will comply with new government requirements and reduce arsenic emissions to five times the state's standards by 2027.
The Rouyn-Noranda smelter, Que., owned by Switzerland-based Glencore, is currently certified to emit 100 nanograms of arsenic per cubic meter of air. This is 33 times the statewide standard.
Glencore's operations in a town more than 600 kilometers northwest of Montreal were of serious concern in the region after studies showed that lung cancer rates among local residents were higher than the state average. is the cause of
On Monday, Quebec Environment Minister Benoît Charette said the Horn refinery will reduce his arsenic emissions to 15 nanograms per cubic meter of air within five years. said it must.
The company today expects it will cost $500 million to adapt to the new emissions cap, and negotiations are underway to obtain government assistance to fund the necessary changes.
Claude Berenger, of Glencore's North American Copper Division, told reporters the company's analysis showed that by 2027, air quality in much of the town will be It has been shown to reach state standards of 3 nanograms of arsenic per cubic meter, he said.
This Canadian Press report was first published on August 18, 2022.
