Doctors urge Legault to address arsenic contamination in Rouyn-Noranda

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The Quebec College of Physicians added its voice Monday to those calling on the Legault government to protect the health of the citizens of Rouyn-Noranda and take swift action to address high levels of local arsenic-laden air pollution produced by the Bake. Foundry.

On Monday morning, the College took to its Twitter account to make the call public, saying the health of the population of Rouyn-Noranda was “paramount”.

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The College took to social media a day after 50 doctors from the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region sent a letter to Legault demanding “without delay a return to Quebec standards for exposure to air pollutants” for citizens living nearby. from the Horne foundry.

“The science is clear,” the College tweeted. “Measures must be implemented quickly to ensure better air quality.”

While the College said it would not comment on the matter other than its social media post, a spokesperson said “we will certainly be keeping a close eye on this issue this week.”

In their letter, the doctors noted that “arsenic is a carcinogen… The standard set by the Quebec Ministry of the Environment of 3 ng./m3 (nanograms per cubic meter) is considered negligible for health. At 15 ng./m3, neurocognitive effects have been described in some studies in children”.

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In operation since 1927, arsenic emissions from the Horne Foundry have reached 100 ng./m3.

in a recent report, Radio-Canada revealed that in July 2019, then-Quebec public health director Horacio Arruda removed an addendum from a local health authority report detailing how Rouyn-Noranda had a lung cancer incidence higher than the provincial standard and found that arsenic contamination was an aggravating factor. According to the minutes of a meeting held after the report was presented, Arruda withdrew the annex after meeting with smelter managers. Arruda has since said there was nothing questionable about his decision.

Legault’s government has insisted it had nothing to do with the annex’s removal, saying the decision was Arruda’s alone.

Dr. Luc Boileau, Quebec’s current director of public health, is scheduled to visit Rouyn-Noranda this week, while a report on the subject from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec is expected in the coming days.