SMELTER SKELTER: CITIZENS KEPT IN THE DARK ON LEAD CONTAMINATION

Third-World Nation? Not Hardly. Meet The Dark Side of Canada

2008: Aresenic Emissions Triple over 2006 Numbers:

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.

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The Conservation Council of New Brunswick issued a report in June 2006 concluding that the Canadian Federal Government and the New Brunswick Department of Health withheld information ffrom the residents of Belledune, a village on the Bay of Chaleur. The report documents how public servants filtered information from field staff reports, commissioned deficient studies, and altered the only public report to be published about heavy metal contamination in Belledune to downplay or deny problems.

In the report entitled "Dying For Development", the council claims the province had several warnings about higher than normal levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic linked to the smelter, but did nothing to alert residents.

A 2005 provincial health study revealed that the community had a high death and cancer rate compared to other parts of the province. The report is based on thousands of documents obtained under federal and provincial right-to-information legislation. The toxins were found in air, soil, garden produce and seafood and what public officials knew about the health risks the residents faced and are still facing.

A 2003 health study by the New Brunswick Department of Environment confirmed that Belledune residents suffer from high death and cancer rates. In 2004, the local school district cleaned up its school yard and playground area. Some local residents have abandoned their gardens and no longer allow their children to play in their yards. A 2006 survey of children’s health by the Conservation Council revealed a higher incidence of health problems among local children than in the general child population.

The Noranda smelter is owned by Falconbridge/Noranda. The smelter processes lead concentrate from the Brunswick mine, while other nasty stuff is shipped from mines throughout the world and stored under cover at the bulk handling operation until processed. Spent lead acid batteries, refining drosses from other smelters, lead metal scrap and lead-contaminated materials are also processed at the smelter.