The Horne Smelter in Rouyn-Noranda has put its environmental upgrades on hold and is calling on the Quebec government to pay for the work, threatening to shut down within a year. Glencore, the Anglo-Swiss multinational that owns the plant, claims it failed to secure the exemptions it wanted from provincial emission standards. In response, the company has launched a "demobilization plan." According to Marc Bédard, head of metallurgical operations, the company hopes to avoid a permanent closure and does not plan to lay off workers immediately.

The company had originally planned to spend nearly a billion dollars over five years, including 300 million to cut down on pollution. Now, Glencore is asking to be excused from meeting the provincial arsenic limit of 3 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3). Instead, it wants the limit raised to 15 ng/m3 and is asking for an extra 18 months to reach that goal.

Public health officials are fighting the request, pointing out that there is no safe level of exposure to arsenic. Meanwhile, the provincial government has proposed moving up the renewal process for the smelter's operating permit by one year. Catherine Hamel, a spokesperson for Premier François Legault, stated that the government expects the company to fund its own investments. Opposition parties have criticized the government's handling of the situation, demanding a deal that prioritizes public safety and upholds environmental rules.