Council wants answers about Pointe des Chenes benzene. Health unit thinks about it

Jonathan Bouma, manager of environmental health at Algoma Public Health, isn't on the agenda for tonight's City Council meeting.

Sault Ste. Marie City Council wants to know more about benzene contamination in the Pointe des Chenes area.

Two weeks ago, it voted to ask Bouma or another APH representative to appear at tonight's meeting to discuss the cancer risk.

Dr. Marlene Spruyt, APH's chief executive officer and medical officer of health, tells SooToday that the health unit is still weighing the request.

"At this time APH is considering the request to appear before council," Dr. Spruyt says.

She provides us with this update:

Algoma Public Health was notified in 2007 that well water at Pointe Des Chenes Campground was contaminated with benzene.

Guests of the campground were immediately notified and 'do not drink' signs were posted at all taps and comfort stations.

Public health inspectors have checked regularly to ensure signage remains in place.

The campground is working with PUC to establish a benzene removal system at the campground.

Following the notification of benzene at Pointe Des Chenes Campground, in 2008 APH and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change tested well water of residences in the surrounding area.

Benzene was not detected in any of the residential wells, demonstrating that the contamination had not extended beyond the campground.

In 2016, the Ministry of Transportation conducted further testing of the wells on residential properties.

Transportation Canada’s results are available and are currently being distributed.

Privacy guidelines require us to communicate with individual property owners before results can be released to the media or the city.

Previous negative test results, no evidence of new or ongoing contamination, and preliminary analysis of results circulated to date suggest that the risk is low.

Any individual resident who wishes to discuss their concerns should contact our environmental health program directly at 705-759-5286.

Algoma Public Health has created, and will continue to update, a page on our website to answer questions. Information can be found at http://www.algomapublichealth.com/inspections-environment/benzene/

At the Jan. 9 meeting of City Council, public works director Susan Hamilton Beach reported that the city is only an affected property owner in the benzene investigation, as owner of the RV park and campground operated by the Lions Club.

"We are not allowed nor entitled to know the water quality of any private resident," she said.

Ward 6 Councillor Ross Romano nonetheless pushed to have Bouma appear before City Council tonight, expressing concern that benzene is linked to cancer but participation in the residential water testing was optional.

"People don't know what's going on," Romano said. "I find it very concerning and I have a lot of questions I would like to pose of our public health department."

Mayor Christian Provenzano expressed concern that neither Bouma nor Algoma Public Health is responsible to City Council.

"He doesn't report to us. This is not the responsibility of the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie . . . This is squarely an Algoma Public Health board responsibility," the mayor said.

"We don't govern Algoma Public Health and I think we're going to confuse the general public if we start asking people to come here to answer to us on matters that aren't in our jurisdiction. The well water quality in those neighbourhoods is not our responsibility."

If Councillor Romano has concerns, he should go to an Algoma Public Health board meeting and express them there, Provenzano said.

However, Romano pointed out that water quality in the Sault was an issue in the last municipal election and candidates had a great deal to say about it then.

In an email sent to the city last month, Bouma was critical of news media coverage of the benzene issue.

"Media does not know the correct process of events so I hope to inform the process!" Bouma said.

Councillor Romano responded to that: "It seems to me all that we have right now is media reporting."

City Council voted 6-3 to invite Bouma to address tonight's meeting.

City Council will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.