North Bay, Ont., plant at centre of community concerns over 'forever chemicals'

Brennain Lloyd says she was concerned when she learned Industrial Plastics Canada (IPC) would be opening a new plant in North Bay, Ont.

"Our concerns are what will be coming out of that plant, what will the emissions be," said Lloyd, the project co-ordinator with the environmental group Northwatch, which looks at industrial projects in northeastern Ontario.

The company's plant, due to be fully operational next year, will transform a polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is commonly known under the trade name Teflon.

PTFE is part of a larger group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). There are more than 10,000 known chemicals in the PFAS family with a wide range of everyday uses.

"Everybody in Canada has exposure to some types of PFAS," said Miriam Diamond, a professor with the University of Toronto's School of the Environment.

Diamond, who researches how environmental contaminants get into the environment and how people can be exposed to them, said PFAS are largely used for their water-repelling properties. They are in waterproof jackets, bike chain grease, ski wax, and even some fast food containers and popcorn bags.

In Canada, a small number of these chemicals, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are banned for their effects on the environment and human health.

"We know that some PFAS affect the immune system by reducing immune function," Diamond said.

"We know that some PFAS affect reproduction resulting in lower fertility, lower birth weight, babies and some complications of pregnancy. Some PFAS are carcinogenic, affecting liver and kidneys."

As with other polymers — substances with very large and complex molecules — the problems with PFAS occur when the substances start to degrade and break down, Diamond said.

"Like a plastic bag isn't harmful itself," she said.

"But polymers can break down over time, and when the building blocks come out of the structure, it's those building blocks that are available for uptake and that can cause toxicity."

Diamond said PTFE — the chemical the North Bay plant will use — is especially stable and can take decades to degrade and cause problems.

In addition to coating non-stick frying pans, PTFE is used on items like gaskets and to build medical equipment, because it stays sterile.

Many PFAS are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can stay in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Like many people in North Bay, Lloyd first became concerned about the Industrial Plastics Canada plant when the Narwhal — a Canadian publication that focuses on climate change and the environment — published a piece about the facility.

"Now the company has said they won't be manufacturing PFAS. Very good," Lloyd said.

"But they will be using PFAS. They have said there will be no releases to water. Very good. What is much less clear is what the releases will be to the air."

Past contamination

Long before Industrial Plastics Canada decided to set up shop in North Bay, the northern Ontario city had experienced environmental contamination from PFAS that affected local waterways.

From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, the Department of National Defence conducted training exercises near the city's airport, using firefighting foams that contain PFAS.

Because of those training exercises, a longstanding drinking water advisory remains in place for Lees Creek, which is southeast of the Jack Garland Airport.

The Department of National Defence has granted the city nearly $20 million to address the contamination.

City spokesperson Gord Young said a study to determine the next course of action is nearly done.

Young said North Bay's drinking water currently has 53 nanograms of PFAS per litre, while the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks recommends no more than 70 nanograms of PFAS per litre.

But Health Canada has had consultations proposing that recommendation be lowered to 30 nanograms per litre.

Nipissing First Nation reacts

Some members of Nipissing First Nation — located some 30 kilometres west of North Bay along the shore of Lake Nipissing — say they too are worried about the plant.

"Our forests are places that we not only participate in our traditional activities such as hunting, fishing and ceremony, but also the forest, and the lake and the fish that we feed off of. All of this is connected to the land that we are situated in," said Curtis Avery, Nipissing First Nation's environmental manager.

"And when we have these issues with forever chemicals that are not part of that system, or part of that puzzle, that are here to stay and can bioaccumulate, not only are those animals and the food web affected, but it's also us, our people."

Avery noted North Bay's past issues with PFAS contamination near the airport.

"So there's issues that already exist involving PFAS that should have been handled before we start bringing in some other major issues involving the same group of chemicals."

The city's response

After the Narwhal published its article, the City of North Bay said Industrial Plastics Canada would be setting up in an industrial park already zoned for the type of work it planned to do.

"IPC doesn't manufacture raw plastics on site and its operations itself will not have any impact on local water courses," North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico told CBC News.

"Air standards will obviously be required to comply with Ontario's environmental legislation and regulations, like all manufacturers that we presently have in the city of North Bay."

Chirico also noted that once the plant is fully operational, it's expected to employ around 35 people.

"We remain dedicated to protecting our natural environment, but also, you know, supporting job creation and business growth," he said.

"And we will continue to work with this company as we do with many other companies."

Plant visit

IPC invited the CBC to tour the plant, although the company did not allow for any recordings or photos to be taken inside the facility.

Production manager Craig Rice explained how they receive PTFE in a powdered form from facilities in India and Italy.

The North Bay plant, while still under construction, contained pallets with hundreds of boxes with the powder — resembling icing sugar — inside.

When the plant is operational, workers will pour that powder into large cylindrical steel moulds — around a metre in height — that are cold-pressed and then baked in an oven at around 350 C.

Rice explained cold-pressing the powder turns it into a brittle piece that is then heated to become a more durable solid.

Those cylinders, called billets, are either sold to customers as is or cut into thin sheets.

Rice said manufacturers use the material to make gaskets, seals, medical equipment and other products

The Ministry of the Environment is so squeezed by budget cuts that they don't have the capacity to provide full protective oversight.- Miriam Diamond, University of Toronto researcher

In a followup email, Rice said the company will need to obtain a permit from the Ministry of the Environment before it starts to use any ovens in the facility,

"The exhaust that is emitted from the oven is basically just hot air which we have tested in our other facilities" he said.

"But under [Ontario] regulation, a permit must be obtained for any air discharged from the facility. Our engineering staff are in the process of getting this application completed and submitted to the Ministry of the Environment."

Rice added that not much dust is produced when cutting the billets, but employees will wear masks as a precaution when loading the PTFE powder into the moulds.

"We also have a high-tech vacuum unit in order for any cleanup if spillage occurs," he said.

Rice said he has lived in North Bay all his life and has property on Lake Nipissing. As an avid fisherman, he said he has a personal stake to ensure the local environment isn't polluted.

Diamond, of the University of Toronto, said heating PTFE powder at 350 C would release some contaminants in the air. Those could be caught with a filter, she added.

"The Ministry of the Environment is so squeezed by budget cuts that they don't have the capacity to provide full protective oversight."

In an email to CBC News, the ministry said it "takes concerns about activities that could potentially harm the environment and human health seriously."

"The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks inspects facilities to ensure compliance with applicable environmental regulations. Additionally, ministry staff conduct site visits to gather information and respond to community concerns," the email added.

Ministry staff visited the IPC site on July 11 and determined It was not yet operational. 

"We made the company aware of their requirements under the Environmental Protection Act," the email said.

"It is possible that the company will require an environmental compliance approval for air emissions before entering production."

As the plant prepares to open, activists like Lloyd are asking for more transparency from the company to learn exactly how they plan to manage any potential emissions.