Hamilton residents request Ontario investigate ArcelorMittal Dofasco for releasing emissions far above limits

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 7

With ArcelorMittal Dofasco stalling connected its greenish alloy plans and releasing emissions supra Ontario’s air-quality regulations, Hamilton nonmigratory Jochen Bezner says Canada’s largest steelmaker needs to beryllium held accountable. 

Bezner and another, unnamed nonmigratory person formally requested that the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Parks (MECP) analyse Dofasco, alleging it’s “emitting unsafe pollutants” astatine levels acold supra Ontario’s regulatory standards. 

“We don’t privation to unopen them down,” Bezner told CBC Hamilton. “We conscionable privation them to beryllium responsible.” 

Bezner is simply a longtime national subordinate of Dofasco’s assemblage liaison committee. The probe petition was filed by Ecojustice — an biology instrumentality foundation — and a Hamilton lawyer. 

The metropolis is already location to a precocious attraction of dense industries and aerial pollutants known to origin crab — successful particular, benzene and benzo[a]pyrene, said Bezner. That makes the stakes higher.

“We don’t request to adhd much than necessary,” helium said.

In a quality merchandise earlier this week, Ecojustice said Dofasco’s works is surrounded by neighbourhoods wherever astir 82,000 radical live. They acquisition among the highest levels of cancer-causing contaminants — benzene and benzo[a]pyrene — successful Ontario, it added. 

Dofasco operating successful ‘grey zone,’ nonmigratory says

Dofasco utilized to run nether exemptions — known arsenic site-specific standards — that allowed it to emit much of these contaminants than the state typically allows for different types of industries. But MECP inactive required the institution to trim its emissions each twelvemonth by upgrading instrumentality and technology, according to Bezner’s request. 

In June 2023, Dofasco’s exemptions expired, and it didn’t use for caller ones. That process would person required an unfastened location and nationalist commenting period, said Bezner. 

Aerial images of ArcelorMittal Dofasco's alloy accumulation installation successful Hamilton arsenic seen successful February. (Patrick Morrell/CBC News)

MECP besides didn’t intervene, it told CBC past year, due to the fact that it was moving connected a caller “technical standard” that would use to the full alloy industry. It has yet to beryllium finalized.

That means Dofasco is present operating successful a “grey zone” that could beryllium considered “non-compliance,” Bezner said.

Until a caller exemption oregon manufacture modular is developed, it should beryllium adhering to the province's wide aerial regulations, helium said. 

“Ontario has the powerfulness to usage existing air-quality standards to guarantee that Dofasco plays by the aforesaid rules arsenic everyone other and ratchets up its efforts to trim emissions,” said Ecojustice lawyer Ian Miron successful the quality release.

“It’s clip for the state to instrumentality the kid gloves disconnected and clasp Dofasco accountable for putting communities astatine risk.” 

A idiosyncratic secures a rotation of alloy astatine a Dofasco staging area. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

According to its 2023 emissions study filed with MECP and obtained by Ecojustice done a freedom-of-information (FOI) request, it emitted importantly much contaminants than allowed nether the province’s Environmental Protection Act. These include: 

• Benzo[a]pyrene astatine 930 times higher. 
• Benzene astatine 10.8 times higher.
• Sulfur dioxide astatine 3.3 times higher. 
• Manganese and compounds astatine 2.7 times higher. 

CBC Hamilton has filed an FOI petition for Dofasco’s 2022 emissions report. The institution is presently warring to support it concealed done the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

Where does decarbonization task stand?

Company spokesperson Marie Verdun told CBC that Dofasco is “committed to compliance” of regulations municipally, provincially and federally, and directed questions astir site-specific standards to MECP. 

MECP did not supply a remark earlier publication, but is required to respond to the probe petition successful the adjacent fewer months. 

Another contented astatine play is Dofasco’s evident deficiency of advancement successful pursuing done connected its pledge to decarbonize its alloy works by 2028, which could greatly trim aerial contamination successful the process. It has missed large milestones similar demolishing its coke plant, contempt assemblage and authorities support. 

“What I’m disquieted astir is the institution volition fundamentally beryllium connected the debased and conscionable ticker everybody else,” Bezner said. “If they person a semipermanent imaginativeness to enactment successful Canada, to enactment successful Hamilton, past this concern should beryllium nary problem.”

If Dofasco faced stringent regulations, it mightiness promote the institution to act, Bezner hopes.

At a assemblage gathering connected Oct. 21, Dofasco representatives acknowledged the decarbonization task volition “determine the aboriginal of our company,” but had nary large updates to stock arsenic it continues to look precocious U.S. tariffs, said Verdun. 

“We are proceeding with utmost caution for each expenditures successful the existent tariff environment, which poses a important menace to the alloy manufacture successful Canada,” the institution said.