Fear of arsenic emissions from smelter weighs on moms in Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Jennifer Turcotte, a mother of three from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, is adamant that no one wants to raise their kids in a town where the backyard, soil, and air are contaminated with high levels of arsenic. The Horne Smelter, which has been operating since 1927, looms over the community, emitting toxins that pose a serious health risk to residents.

Turcotte, who is a co-spokesperson for Mères au front de Rouyn-Noranda, joined a protest at Quebec’s National Assembly to demand action to lower arsenic emissions in her hometown. A recent study by Quebec’s Institute of Public Health found that decades of exposure to arsenic and cadmium emissions from the smelter have increased residents’ risk of cancer.

The smelter, owned by Glencore Canada, has made some progress in reducing arsenic emissions, but they are still far above Quebec’s provincial norms. The smelter was permitted to emit 33 times the Quebec standard for arsenic emissions in 2021, posing a significant health risk to residents, especially children who are particularly vulnerable to toxins.

Dr. Koren Mann, a professor at McGill University, warns that arsenic exposure is linked to various health issues, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, immune changes, and diabetes. Children, whose brains, bones, and immune systems are still developing, are at a higher risk of suffering from the harmful effects of arsenic exposure.

Residents like Isabelle Fortin-Rondeau are concerned about the long-term consequences of living in a town with high arsenic emissions. Fortin-Rondeau regrets not knowing the extent of contamination before moving back to Rouyn-Noranda to raise her family. She questions the decision to expose her children to potential health risks.

In response to the growing concerns, the smelter announced a biomonitoring program to evaluate the exposure of environmental contaminants among its employees and their families. While this initiative is a step in the right direction, residents like Turcotte feel that it is a tactic to deflect from the real issue of high arsenic emissions in the community.

As the residents of Rouyn-Noranda continue to fight for stricter regulations on arsenic emissions, they hope that the government will enforce standards to protect their health and well-being. Turcotte and others feel that they have been unfairly sacrificed for the sake of industrial operations and are determined to bring about change for the future of their community.