Demand scrubbers be installed to protect the health of Kitimat residents and the environment

GLOBAL BC NEWS:
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VICTORIA – The provincial government is allowing Kitimat, B.C., residents to become pollution guinea pigs, said a lawyer for aluminium smelter union workers who launched court action on Tuesday.

Court documents filed by Unifor Local 2301 claim the province permitted Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. to undertake its $3.3 billion smelter modernization in Kitimat without requiring the company to take measures to reduce harmful sulphur dioxide emissions.


The petition seeks to set aside the government's approval under the Environmental Management Act on the grounds of failure to consider expert advice on pollution-reduction measures, including installing scrubbers to prevent adverse effects on human health.