Hamilton Residents’ Appeal for Dofasco Emissions Review Denied

The Ontario government has rejected a request from residents of Hamilton to look into Arcelor Mittal Dofasco’s emissions.

Jochen Bezner and another local resident submitted the request to the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Parks (MECP) in November.

They claim that Canada’s largest steel manufacturer is “emitting dangerous pollutants” at levels much higher than what provincial air-quality regulations allow and violating parts of the Environmental Protection Act.

In a recent ruling, MECP denied the request because it would “duplicate an ongoing investigation.” The ministry stated it is already addressing Dofasco’s emission levels by advocating for long-term compliance along with “risk-abatement actions” in the interim.

MECP is also developing an industry standard for Ontario’s iron and steel sectors, which will set emission limits for companies like Dofasco, as mentioned in their decision. These initiatives have been underway for several years and are still progressing.

‘Walk the talk,’ resident urges Dofasco

Bezner, who has been a longtime member of Dofasco’s community liaison committee, expressed disappointment over MECP’s choice.

Dofasco has also made considerable changes to its decarbonization plan, which was expected to be completed by 2028 but now lacks a new timeline.

Hamilton resident Jochen Bezner filed a formal request for the province to investigate Dofasco last year. (Samantha Beattie/CBC)

“It’s time for Dofasco to walk the talk and show that it is truly committed to being a ‘good neighbour’ by living up to its responsibility for continuous improvement of environment and energy impacts and by providing the community with transparency around its decarbonization timeline,” Bezner said in a statement.

Ecojustice, an environmental law charity, submitted the investigation request on behalf of Bezner.

In reaction to MECP’s decision, Ecojustice lawyer Ian Miron stated that the province is allowing Dofasco to keep burning coal, “one of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuels,” which affects air quality in the area.

“We continue to say that the government has a part to play in holding polluters, like Arcelor Mittal Dofasco, accountable for reducing dangerous air emissions and moving towards decarbonization,” Miron said.

Dofasco did not respond when CBC reached out for comments.

Ministry says it does regular air inspections

MECP noted in its ruling that it has been collaborating with the steel sector to understand how U. S. tariffs might impact production. The findings will be “reflected” in the proposed industry standard.

The decision from MECP explained that another reason it isn’t conducting an investigation is because Dofasco has provided an “abatement plan” aimed at managing hazardous pollutants. The ministry has conducted regular air inspections from 2023 to 2025 to ensure compliance with that plan.

The inspections have concentrated on Dofasco’s processes related to turning coal into coke, which represents the “most significant source of higher risk contaminants,” including carcinogens benzene and benzo(a)pyrene, according to their decision.>

MECP also mentioned that they investigate reports regarding fallout and black soot found in nearby communities.

If residents wish to provide input on Dofasco’s emissions, they can do so through Ontario’s environmental registry, Ecojustice noted in a news release.

Dofasco has applied to MECP for renewing some of its permit conditions concerning air and noise pollution.

Your comments can be submitted until March 12 via the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

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