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Here’s a look at the major culprits in the city’s dirtiest dozen neighbourhoods – and their addresses. Agitate.
Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Toxic releases : 1,491 tonnes
Major polluters : Humber Treatment Plant, 130 the Queensway Dimpflmeier Bakery, 26-36 Advance O-I Canada Corp., 777 Kipling Alcan, 10 Akron Cognis Canada, 425 Kipling Daimler Chrysler, 15 Brown’s Line Foamex, 415 Evans National Silicates, 429 Kipling Norampac, 450 Evans Kraft, 2150 Lakeshore Vicom Outdoor, 377 Horner Alberto-Culver Canada, 506 Kipling.
York West
Toxic releases : 1,096 tonnes
Major polluters : Alcan, 130 Arrow Dow Chemical, 122 Arrow Jacobs and Thompson Inc., 89 Kenhar Corus L.P., 3605 Weston Indalloy, 7 Alloy Court Knoll North America, 1000 Arrow Kraft, 56 Huxley Shur-Gain, 71 Fenmar Vaughan Metal Polishing, 206 Milvan Suncor Energy, 1138 Finch Talmolder, 325 Limestone Vitafoam Products, 150 Toro York University, 4700 Keele.
Etobicoke North
Toxic releases : 958 tonnes
Major polluters : Gazzola Paving, 345 Attwell Molson Breweries, 1 Carlingview Architectural Mouldings, 345 Carlingview Independent Mirror, 250 Brockport ABC Group, 10 Disco ShawCor Ltd., 25 Bethridge Vulcan Containers, 15 Bethridge Decoform Corp., 270 Rexdale Labatt Breweries, 50 Resources Quebecor, 2250 Islington.
Scarborough-Rouge River
Toxic releases : 822 tonnes
Major polluters : D. Crupi & Sons, 85 Passmore Owens Corning, 3450 McNicoll Printera Corp., 61 Middlefield Solectron Invotronics, 365 Passmore International Group, 50 Salome Vacuum Metalizing, 30 Dovedale Collins and Aikman Plastics, 165 Milner Durapaint Industries, 247 Finchdene Cinram International, 2255 Markham.
Scarborough East
Toxic releases : 588 tonnes
Major polluters : Highland Creek Treatment Plant, 51 Beechgrove Crompton Co., 10 Chemical Technician Pacific Industries, 40 Minuk U.S.E. Hickson, 15 Wallsend.
Toronto Centre-Rosedale
Toxic Releases : 547 tonnes
Major polluters : Enwave Energy, 95 Walton Bell Trinity Square, 483 Bay MacLean Hunter Building, 777 Bay One Financial Place, 1 Adelaide East Waterpark Place, 20 Bay Redpath Sugars, 95 Queens Quay East.
Scarborough Southwest
Toxic releases : 466 tonnes
Major polluters : Cropton Co., 36 Upton D.A. Stuart Inc., 43 Upton Dextran Products, 421 Comstock EMI RFI Shield Plating, 123 Manville Atlantic Packaging, 255 Brimley.
Beaches-East York
Toxic releases : 314 tonnes
Major polluters : Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant, 9 Leslie.
Toronto Danforth
Toxic releases : 308.5 tonnes
Major polluters : North Toronto Treatment Plant, 21 Redway CanRoof, 560 Commissioners Cascades Boxboard, 495 Commissioners Innocon, 535 Commissioners Korex, 21 Don Valley Parkway.
York South-Weston
Toxic releases : 225 tonnes
Major polluters : Irving Tissue, 1551 Weston Serologicals Corp., 55 Glenn Scarlett Universal Drum, 110 Glenn Scarlett Kodak, 3500 Eglinton West. Trinity-Spadina
Toxic releases : 118 tonnes
Major polluters : CBM Ready Mix, 22 Bathurst Innocon, 450 Lakeshore West Citibank Place, 123 Front West AT&T Tower, 200 Wellington West SunLife Tower, 225 King West RBC Centre, 315 Front West Quality Meat Packers, 2 Tecumseth Enwave Energy, 120 Pearl.
Don Valley West
Toxic releases : 113 tonnes
Major polluters : Celestica, 844 Don Mills TREMCO, 220 Wicksteed Unicell, 50 Industrial Winpack Technologies, 85 Laird.
Why We Need A Community Right-To-Know Bylaw
Only companies that use more than 10 tonnes of a listed chemical have to report discharges. In T.O., some 40,000 companies fall below the reporting threshold.
Most people are in the dark about hazardous chemicals in their backyard. There’s no access to reliable info on contaminated sites unless you have the bucks to pay a professional researcher.
Public scrutiny will encourage industries to clean up their act. In Massachusetts, the Toxics Use Reduction Act has resulted in a 90 per cent decline in chemical releases.
It’ll make industry more competitive. New York’s Community Right-To-Know Act resulted in major pollution prevention efforts among dry cleaners using known carcinogens.
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