Patrick Brown calls for public inquiry into Liberal handling of Sarnia health concerns
Minister of Environment says Liberals 'committed' to funding health study
Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown is calling for a public inquiry in the Liberal government's handling of health concerns connected to spills in Sarnia's chemical valley.
Brown said consecutive Liberal governments have "failed" in their duty to protect people living near dozens of industrial facilities and refineries over the past nine years.
"Sarnia workers and families don't want platitudes and sympathy from the government, they want the government to do their job. Enough is enough," he said. "We are sickened by the stunning indifference from the government."
Sarnia mayor Mike Bradley told CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive that he spoke briefly with the Progressive Conservative leader and shares some of his concerns.
"Often when there's leakage or emission, it takes [the ministry] a long time to get here to judge the problem," he said.
The call comes after collaborative reports from Global News, the Toronto Star and several Canadian journalism schools found more than 500 incident reports connected to spills and leaks in the area and highlighted health worries of residents.
Brown added Ontario conservatives have been asking for a health impact study for the past nine years, but have long-been ignored by their Queen's Park competition.
Chris Ballard, Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change, responded saying the government was "committed to funding a health study to understand the localized impact of air pollution on Sarnia residents."
He added staff will be working with communities in the area to determine how to best help.
Ballard explained there's still "more work to be done" to "balance the needs of the economy and environment," but monitoring stations show air quality in communities around Sarnia have been "steadily improving" over the past decade.
Bradley called Ballard's commitment a "conversion on the road to Damascus," noting that local leaders have been asking for a study since 2006.
"Industry — surprisingly — has been supportive of that, and were willing to put significant dollars, but we could not get the province or the feds."
Bradley said he hopes that when the study is complete, there will be some certainty about how the region's industrial facilities affect the health of residents.
Nevertheless, the mayor, who noted that he can see an Imperial Oil facility from his home, said Sarnia is still a safe place to live.
"I believe that people here want the safest possible place to live — and that's what they're getting."