A carbon company in Hamilton has been found responsible by the Ontario government for emissions that blanketed parts of Hamilton last month. Birla Carbon, a supplier and manufacturer of carbon black additives in the city’s industrial sector, was identified as the company responsible, according to Lindsay Davidson of Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in a statement to CTV News. “The ministry has determined that emissions from Birla Carbon were a primary source of the reported impacts.” Davidson says the ministry has “referred Birla for formal investigation by the ministry’s Environmental Investigations and Enforcement Branch” to determine if Birla violated “Ontario’s environmental laws.” Birla Carbon has not responded to CTV News’s immediate request for comment. Over the July 4 weekend, residents across the Hamilton area reported a large buildup of soot, layering their homes, cars, patio furniture, and nearly everything left outside their homes. By July 25, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks received a total of 475 complaints from residents across Hamilton, according to Robin Lennox, the NDP MPP for Hamilton Centre. In an interview with CTV News last month, one Hamilton resident described the soot buildup as “all-encompassing.” “It’s hard to describe unless you’re living here and you actually see the fallout coming. It’s very annoying and alarming. It feels so dirty and grimy,” said Gillian Stanley. “I have no idea what’s in the substance. You know, is it in my lungs? Is it going down my throat? I certainly feel really sick in my throat, as do many residents,” said Jane Jamnik, a Hamilton resident for six years. The health effects of the emissions are not immediately clear. The ministry told CTV News it has shared its findings with Hamilton Public Health and that “further health-related questions” should be directed to the City of Hamilton Public Health Services.
