The New Glasgow News reported on April 29, 1970 that representatives
of the provincial government’s Water Resource Commission had met with
Canso Chemicals officials, and told them they would have to ensure that
there would be only negligible mercury loss from its new plant. The
company gave its assurance that it would take steps to comply.
of the provincial government’s Water Resource Commission had met with
Canso Chemicals officials, and told them they would have to ensure that
there would be only negligible mercury loss from its new plant. The
company gave its assurance that it would take steps to comply.
Whatever steps Canso Chemicals took to prevent mercury loss, those
steps clearly didn’t work. In 1977, the Canadian Press reported that
there had been “mysterious losses of large amounts of mercury” from the
plant. Since the company had begun reporting to the federal environment
department in 1972, Canso Chemicals reported “unaccounted mercury
losses” that averaged several tons a year, with a peak in 1975, when
five tons were lost.