ArcelorMittal Dofasco disappointed with Hamilton councillor

ArcelorMittal Dofasco says it is continuing to work with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to adhere to provincial regulations for all aspects of its business.

The statement comes after a dark brown cloud was emitted from the Hamilton steelmaker over the Thanksgiving weekend.

The incident prompted city council to call for an air quality summit and ask the provincial government to be more aggressive in its enforcement of air pollution issues.

ArcelorMittal Dofasco says it “experienced excess hot metal management emissions” on Sunday, Oct. 8, during a process known as coffining, during which liquid iron is poured into slag beds to dispose of excess hot metal.

Dofasco’s general manager of environment Jim Stirling expressed disappointment with Coun. Sam Merulla for not reaching out to discuss the issue before presenting a motion to council to call for more scrutiny from the province.

Statement from Jim Stirling, general manager, environment, ArcelorMittal Dofasco:

ArcelorMittal Dofasco has, and continues to, work with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to adhere to the regulations of the Province for all aspects of our business. Regulatory instruments cover multiple parameters and are aligned to drive continuous improvement and we fundamentally support all regulations.

Stirling’s comments with regards to the motion at city council:

If there are concerns with ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s performance, it is disappointing that the mover of the motion did not reach out to meet and discuss them prior to the motion being brought to Council. Our interest is in a healthy community and a healthy company. To deliver on that we are focused on continuous improvement in all aspects of the business, ensuring we plan and react appropriately and responsibly where there may be environmental or community impact from the operations and continue to be a positive contributor to the region and a responsible member of the Hamilton community.