North Bay's plastic "flashpoint" highlights local environmental concerns, calls for stricter rules

Small Town Times editor Dave Dale discusses “forever chemical” contamination issues with resident Michael Taylor, a council candidate last fall and co-chair of Concerned Citizens Committee of North Bay and Area (created in 2012 when mental health beds were moved to Sudbury without consultation). Taylor volunteered to help facilitate a town hall meeting recently for another group against Industrial Plastics Canada opening a moulding facility in the city. More than 40 people participated and came up with ideas to form an education and action plan to address concerns about transparency, regulations and oversight.
North Bay is one of many North American communities facing “forever chemical” contamination caused by toxic fire-fighting foam, used during training exercises at airport and military base, that drained into local waterways and ground water. A report focusing on mitigation measures was due this spring. In the United States, a company that produced the foam agreed to pay more than $10 billion toward clean up efforts in multiple states to settle a class action lawsuit. NOTE: In the interview, comments incorrectly state 3-M was fined.
Meanwhile, some North Bay residents are joining forces to fight against a plastic molding company setting up shop in the city this year. Industrial Plastics Canada says it will use PFTE powder (polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a Teflon-like product that falls into a larger group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) to create a sheet product other companies can use to make plastic components.