The Horne Smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, owned by the multinational giant Glencore, has halted a modernization project meant to cut down on its toxic emissions. The company is now calling on the government of Quebec to fund the work, warning that the plant could close within a year. Glencore has already begun disbanding the teams assigned to the project, claiming the government refused to grant the flexibility they requested regarding environmental rules.

Marc Bedard, Glencore’s head of metallurgical assets, stated that reaching the target limit of 3 nanograms of arsenic per cubic metre (ng/m3) is impossible. Instead, the smelter is asking for a higher limit of 15 ng/m3 and an extra 18 months to comply. While the Quebec government has offered to speed up the permit renewal process by a year, Glencore insists on seeing the final decision before committing any more money. Meanwhile, opposition parties have criticized the government for its handling of the situation.