City of Hamilton wants to hear about industrial soot, odours and noise irking residents

This is the first year that east-end resident Dana Stevenson has had to wash everything in her backyard with soap and warm water every time she wants to use it.

For more than 20 years, Stevenson has lived south of Hamilton's east-end industrial sector. She said this year has been the worst she can remember when it comes to particulate matter and grime covering her property.

"I have to wash my ankles after coming home from walking the dog because of the dirt in the neighbourhood," she said, describing a neighbour's child covered in black soot after sitting on the curb.

Stevenson has a yellow Labrador retriever and said the dog's coat has been darkened by the soot multiple times this year.

"I've had to wash his feet after walking outside or they would be black."

She is among numerous east-end residents who have reported an increase in the amount of black soot they're dealing with this year. 

"The volume and the quantity has changed," Stevenson told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday. "I understand that I live in a city, and an industrial area of the city, and it's not going to be crystal-clean mountain air. 

"But it's never ever been like this."

Hundreds of complaints

Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said it has received more than 539 complaints in the past year from north Hamilton residents related to industrial odour, noise, air quality issues and dust, according to spokesperson Gary Wheeler.

"The ministry has been active in responding to complainants, collecting samples, inspecting industrial facilities and taking action to address concerns," he told CBC Hamilton in an email on Monday. He said the most recent ministry fine issued to any Hamilton businesses was for a noise violation at Triple M Metal Corp. in February.

Many residents say they have reported issues related to increased soot, dirt and dust to the ministry, only to feel as though the information goes into an abyss, with the problems continuing.

Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann has heard a deluge of such complaints, and last year supported a motion that would get the city more involved in the issue, proposed by Ward 4 Coun. Tammy Hwang.

"It's really been decades in the making, in that Ward 3 residents tell us over and over that we need to do something," Nann told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday. "Their complaints haven't really resulted in significant operational changes to the point they've become impactless to the local neighbours."

The result was the Industrial/Commercial Proactive Bylaw Pilot Project, which launched in February and aims to:

• Respond to bylaw complaints proactively and reactively.
• Review the jurisdictional boundaries of current provincial legislation and current municipal bylaws.
• Explore and prepare new processes and bylaws to reduce negative impacts on and improve relationships between commercial/industrial partners and the surrounding community.

It employs a full-time bylaw officer and a project manager, and aims to receive and react to complaints related to industrial and commercial dust, dragout, noise and odour on residential areas. Dragout, Nann explained, is when material from inside an industrial facility is dragged outside its boundaries, often by trucks. She encourages residents to report these problems to bylaw enforcement through the city's web form. 

"Our job… is to help our industrial neighbours shift their operations and join us as leaders," she said. "As soon as evidence is submitted, [bylaw enforcement] will be in touch with the proposed site of impact… letting them know the impact they are having and telling them what they need to do to comply with our municipal bylaws."

According to city spokesperson Lauren Vastano, about 12 complaints have been investigated so far.

"Four of those investigations are new or ongoing. As yet, no fines have been issued," she said Tuesday. 

When asked how much fines could be, she said there is a range depending on the severity and charge, but gave examples of a $65 administrative penalty for a violation of the yard maintenance bylaw and a $25,000 fine for a second offense under the noise bylaw.

"Staff are approaching files from a holistic perspective, and are attempting to work with property owners and residents to reduce negative impacts for those residents who live near industrial/commercial operations," she wrote in an email.

'What's the Grime?'

What the program won't be able to do is tell people what the grime they're finding is composed of, something Nann said many people would like to know.

"The question that most residents have is, 'What is it? Do we need to be concerned? Are there any toxic materials here?'"

A separate research project by McMaster University's Dr. Sarah Styler and Environment Hamilton called What's the Grime aims to fill this gap, and plans to sample "dust fall" from lower-city Hamilton and let people know what it contains.

"We are currently mapping out potential volunteer locations and will be reporting to the community our findings, as well as recommendations on how to safely deal with this widespread problem," states Environment Hamilton.

Industrial area resident Dana Stevenson is keen to find out this information.

"I'd like to know what it is we were breathing in and I'd like [the companies producing this substance] to be held accountable," she said.

Meanwhile, Stevenson would like to see more days like the last four, a rare span with no black gunk accumulation.

"I put out on Saturday a couple of clean glass bowls, one in my front yard and one in my backyard, and brought them in last night and there was nothing in it," she said. "It's because there's been a whole lot of complaints, is my guess."