Too much time given to foundry

Re: “Rouyn-noranda foundry must reduce arsenic emissions within five years” (Montreal Gazette, Aug. 16)

I have read the article dealing with arsenic emissions from the smelter in Rouyn-noranda. It clearly explains the problems that affect the workers and townsfolk because of the dangerous levels of arsenic emitted by the smelter, and the action — or inaction — taken by the Quebec government.

From my experience, the announcement that Quebec has set a deadline of five years to bring down the level of emissions is woefully inadequate.

I was a member of the boards of directors for a company that owned a major smelter dealing with a similar situation in another country. The smelter was acquired in 2010 and had many problems. The major one was the emission of arsenic in the atmosphere.

The government of the day thought the speed with which our company was dealing with the problem was not fast enough.

The result was to demand that the company lower the level of production to 50 per cent capacity until the levels of emissions met international standards. This demand was in addition to the company providing better protective equipment for the workers and better health and testing facilities to ensure their well-being. The order also included monitoring the emissions and their effect on the nearby community.

The article does not provide us with the information needed to understand why the Quebec government agreed to a timeline of five years to correct the problem in Rouyn-noranda.

Perhaps there is a political reason for not dealing with the problem earlier and allowing so much time to solve it.

Ronald Singer, Westmount