The Stelco sinter plant is located along the western shoreline of Stelco's Hilton Works. The sinter plant stack is readily identifiable along the industrial shoreline due to the platform located part way up the stack. Testing of emissions from the sinter stack have confirmed that the sinter is among the top ten sources of dioxin emissions to air in Canada. Further, stack testing has confirmed that the majority (approximately 98%) of the particulate matter discharged from this stack is smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter — small enough that, when inhaled, the lungs have difficulty expelling these particles. When one considers the additional understanding that dioxins have a tendency to adhere to particulate matter, the concerns regarding potential impacts of sinter plant emissions on human health become that much more pressing.

Stelco Sinter Plant

Efforts to implement the goal of virtual elimination, as set out in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, are being pursued on a sector by sector basis for priority toxic substances such as dioxin. To this end, the federal and provincial governments, through the Canada Council of Ministers of the Environment, initiated a Canada Wide Standard setting process for dioxin emissions from various sectors, including the iron and steel industry. More specifically, a process was initiated to establish a Canada Wide Standard for dioxin emissions from iron sintering plants. Given that the Stelco sinter plant is presently the only operating sinter plant in the country, the multi-stakeholder advisory group struck to discuss iron sintering, focused its efforts largely on the Stelco sinter.

An 'Iron Sintering Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group' (IS-MAG) was struck — chaired by Mr. Ken Smith of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Given that the initiative began prior to the existence of Environment Hamilton, Lynda Lukasik participated in the process as a representative of Friends of Red Hill Valley. Other local community participants included east Hamilton activist Burke Austin, the Remedial Action Plan Forum chair Anne Redish, John Balloch and Dave Lumsden from Local 1005 of the United Steelworkers of America, Greensville activist David Robinson, McMaster University Chemistry professor and Clean Air Hamilton chair Dr. Brian McCarry, and Aurora-based activist Anna Tilman representing the Save the Oak Ridges Moraine coalition.

The IS-MAG worked to establish a proposal for a Canada Wide Standard. The federal and provincial Ministers of the Environment have signed on to the standard, with final ratification now pending.

Challenges ahead…..

Throughout the process of establishing a Canada Wide Standard, citizen representatives repeatedly raised concerns about the fact that the standard is not being developed as a regulation. This approach offers no accountability to citizens — no assurance that emissions of priority toxic substances will be virtually eliminated from the environment as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act sets out. Explanations were provided that implementation would become the responsibility of each province.

Stelco Sinter Plant

Within the context of the Stelco sinter plant, an opportunity for effective implementation of the dioxin standard became available when the facility's provincial Certficate of Approval for air emissions required an amendment to accommodate the installation of upgraded pollution control equipment. Included in the amending process was a decision from the provincial Ministry of the Environment to incorporate the newly developed Canada Wide Standard. The amended standard was posted in August of 2002, with the decision by Stelco to appeal the amendment soon thereafter. The central focus of the Stelco appeal is the Ministry of the Environment's decision to include the dioxin emission limits set out in the Canada Wide Standard along with associated limits for the emissions of total suspended particulate matter from the sinter stack.

Through its work to facilitate community environmental capacity building, Environment Hamilton has a very strong interest in ensuring that the Canada Wide Standard remains in the sinter plant certificate of approval for air emissions. With the standard as part of the certificate, citizens have a legally enforceable document they can turn to should Stelco fail to work towards effectively decreasing the emissions of cancer-causing dioxins from the sinter plant stack. This goal is that much more critical in Hamilton, which is the location of the SWARU incinerator — currently Canada's largest point source of dioxin emissions to air. The Stelco sinter plant is currently on the country's top ten list of sources of dioxin to air. Hamilton also has several other smaller sources of dioxin to air. The combination of all of these sources gives Hamilton the unenviable title of 'Dioxin Capital of Canada'.

Environment Hamilton is following this appeal hearing very closely and will work to keep members updated as the process evolves.

Return to Issues of Concern Index