PCs call for inquiry into government’s failed handling of health and environmental concerns in Sarnia

For a decade, Liberals ignored calls for definitive health study of local industry’s impact on community

Today, Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown, with local members of his caucus, called for an inquiry into the Liberal Government’s handling of health concerns in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley and the surrounding area. Local governments and industry have long backed calls for a study of the health impacts, to no avail.

“I’m alarmed by reports revealing stunning indifference from the Liberal government. When you have very serious concerns raised in reports going back a decade and the official government response is that they ‘are open to looking at it’ there is something terribly wrong,” said Brown. “They’ve told the public that they’ve been ‘looking at it’ for nine years.”

In 2008, local MPP Bob Bailey wrote to then health minister George Smitherman echoing calls from local government to fund a study on the industry’s health impacts in the community. Today, the government simply says that they remain “open” to the idea.

“The Liberals have turned their backs on the workers and members of this community,” said Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey. “For years, we have asked for them to study what was happening in our community. They ignored us, plain and simple.”

Brown is now calling for an inquiry into the Liberal government’s handling of the issue.

“We need answers for this community. The Liberals have ignored them for far too long. Enough is enough.”

BACKGROUND:

• In 2008, MPP Bob Bailey (Sarnia-Lambton) wrote to then Health Minister George Smitherman calling for a study into the health impacts – a call they ignored. 
• In 2010, MPP Bailey repeated his calls for a study in Question Period. Health Minister Deb Matthews said they were “taking it very seriously.” Still no study was launched.