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2009-06-23 at 17:48
Mill gas leaves residents fuming
By tbnewswatch staff
Some Westfort residents want an explanation and an apology after the AbitibiBowater pulp and paper mill released some foul-smelling emissions Sunday morning.
Frederica Street resident Kathy McGowan said the fumes left her eyes and throat burning, and said her family continues to suffer nausea and breathing problems.
McGowan sent a letter to the Ministry of the Environment, demanding an investigation. Both AbitibiBowater and the MOE are now offering assurances that the emission was non-toxic and the public was not put at risk.
AbitibiBowater's Jean Phillippe Cote said there was a short release of what he calls non-condensable gas at around 7 a.m. Sunday. Cote said that while the gas smelled bad, it had no harmful affect on nearby neighbours.
That fact was confirmed by the MOE's Lisa Brigadyr. She said that while exposure to the gas can cause nausea, headaches and other minor problems, it has no long-term effect. But that answer isn’t good enough for McGowan, who said in her letter that even her dog showed signs of serious discomfort.
Brygadyr added that the smell was probably intensified by the hot humid conditions, which did not allow the gas to disperse as quickly as it normally would.
Meanwhile, the company is still investigating what caused the release and is required to report the cause to the Ministry.
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