Windsor MP critical of transporting hazardous materials on Ambassador Bridge

Brian Masse, NDP MP for Windsor West, is criticizing the federal and Ontario governments for not doing more to assess the consequences of allowing more hazardous materials to cross the Ambassador Bridge. 

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) decided last week to permit Class 8 hazardous materials — corrosive material like battery ingredients — on the bridge starting in October.

It will also allow Class 3 material, or flammable and combustible liquids.

Masse said Michigan took care of its residents by conducting a thorough risk assessment before making its decision.

But he said neither the province nor the federal government has done the same for Canadians.

Decision follows proposal from Ambassador Bridge

"We're into increased probabilities of toxic materials into fresh water and ... delaying other trucks because they need escorts," Masse said. 

"So it's a drag on our economy as a result of poor planning and poor analysis."

A spokesperson for Transport Canada told CBC that the federal government has a robust regulatory framework for the  transportation of dangerous goods, which reflects collaboration with other levels of government.

But, he said, the province has authority over routing decisions and restrictions on which roads within its jurisdiction can be used to transport dangerous goods.

CBC asked the provincial Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to respond to Masse's remarks. It also asked the ministry whether the provincial government wanted to restrict the shipment of Class 3 and Class 8 materials on the bridge, and if so, if it had a mechanism to do so through a bilateral process or by restricting transport of the goods on connected routes. 

The province sent a two-sentence reply by email, which read "The Ambassador Bridge is privately owned, and Ontario does not have regulatory oversight of the bridge."

Michigan's decision follows a September 2020 proposal from the Ambassador Bridge company to allow the materials on its span.

Currently, and until the restriction formally lifts in October, trucks carrying this material must travel to cross at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ont. 

An MDOT report, released in November, concluded there is "a small difference in statewide risk if the existing Class 3 and 8 restrictions were lifted; however, the difference is not significant enough to make a compelling case for or against any changes."

'dramatically improves safety' bridge company says

Approximately 32,500 Class 3 shipments and 17,000 Class 8 shipments cross the border from the United States to Canada each year, according to the report. MDOT estimated approximately 7,000 of the Class 3 and 3,000 of the Class 8 shipments would shift to using the Ambassador Bridge. 

The bridge company issued a news release Wednesday morning saying the decision by MDOT "dramatically improves safety in the State of Michigan and enhances the smooth flow of international commerce in the Detroit-Windsor corridor."

But the harbour master and chief operating officer of the Windsor Port Authority said he's concerned about any collision that involves hazardous material that takes place on a bridge, whether it's the Ambassador Bridge or the Blue Water Bridge 

"Now [there's] a dust or there's fluid that's now leaking out and pouring over the side into the river and into the lakes," Peter Berry said.

"It's always a concern if there's not a catchment system in place."

The Blue Water Bridge just closed on the Labour Day weekend due to a diesel spill from a truck, Berry said.

He wants to know where that fuel ended up. 

His concern isn't just for the ecosystem and the fishing, he said, but also for the integrity of the water supply.

"We have water intakes both for homes as part of our water supply," he said, "but also commercial water intakes for cooling that are vital to that industry."

The Gordie Howe Bridge, scheduled to open in 2025, will have a catchment system in place to protect against environmental damage from spills, he added. 

Masse said he's concerned the privately owned Ambassador Bridge stands to benefit from increased traffic while Windsor taxpayers could find themselves footing the bill in an emergency.

He is pushing the province and the federal government to object to the passage of the hazardous freight until they've done their own assessments of the economic and environmental impact, he said.

The restrictions will be lifted Oct. 29 and hazardous materials traffic will be permitted during off-peak hours with vehicle escorts.

The bridge company said in November its fire suppression system "meets all applicable codes, is designed to address incidents arising from all of the foregoing classes of hazardous materials and is regularly inspected by the City of Detroit Fire Department and the City of Windsor Fire and Rescue Services."