Canada’s environmental regulator has charged Luxembourg-headquartered steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal with violations of the nation’s Fisheries Act for dumping a “deleterious substance” in several waterways.
One of the largest steel manufacturers in the world, ArcelorMittal conducts operations in several countries, including Canada through its ArcelorMittal Canada division.
On 30 April, Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement laid 200 charges against ArcelorMittal Canada for violating a provision in the Fisheries Act prohibiting companies from depositing deleterious substance in water frequented by fish. The charges center on alleged deposits made by the Mont-Wright mining complex and the Fire Lake mine in the Fermont region of Quebec between 2014 and 2022. Environment and Climate Change Canada launched several investigations into the allegations, which ultimately led the regulator to file 200 charges against the steel manufacturer.
The charges come less than a year after ArcelorMittal was convicted by the Court of Quebec of obstructing Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers. During 2022 inspections of the Mont-Wright mining complex, officers asked the company for documentation verifying compliance with the Fisheries Act as well as the nation’s Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations. The company did not do so, and in September 2022 told the government that it would not be handing over the documents …
