Board of Health Focuses on Air Quality, Community Engagement, and Industrial Pollution

The Board of Health focused on air quality, black soot sampling, and community engagement in lower-city neighbourhoods affected by industrial emissions. Delegates and board members challenged the proposed sampling methodology, pressed for stronger resident-centred engagement, and passed a motion reaffirming opposition to provincial extensions and special permissions for contaminants.

Topics Discussed

1. Black soot, industrial pollution, and resident health concerns

Delegates said residents in Wards 2, 3, 4, and parts of Ward 1 continue to deal with industrial pollution, including black fallout. Miriam Sager told the board, "Every few days, I wipe a layer of black deposits off my white mailbox. And imagine a similar layer deposited in my lungs."

Board members and delegates tied those complaints to broader concerns about how lower-city neighbourhoods are treated. Councillor Alex Wilson said, "People are right to feel angry about living in a sacrifice zone. Like that is quite literally what is happening."

Evan Beine said the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks sampled fallout in 2024 after community reports: "16 out of 54 were found to have detectable concentrations of certain compounds."

2. Criticism of the proposed air sampling methodology

Several speakers said the proposed monitoring plan had basic scientific flaws. Sarah Styler said, "Given the extent to which our provincial regulatory bodies have failed the residents of the lower city, the need for independent monitoring is really clear to me. In my expert opinion, though, the work plan proposed by the engineering firm is critically flawed on the most basic of environmental monitoring principles."

Another delegate, member Denko, was more blunt: "You don't sample particulate matter using canisters… this is just not how you do it," calling the issue "disqualifying."

Consultant Mahab Alam said canisters are suited to "volatiles and semi-volatile materials," and added that the methodology could be revisited "if we are interested in getting all these particulates." Esther Pauls asked staff to focus on the most effective approach: "What is the real mitigation plan here… because throwing stuff at the wall costs a lot of money."

3. Community engagement and lived experience

Delegates said the engagement approach in the report relied too heavily on one-way communication. Miriam Sager told the board, "To be more than a performative exercise, you will need to find a genuine connection with them. There must be real humans, not a website demonstrating willingness to really listen without defensiveness."

Board members also discussed how to better capture lived experience. Councillor Nrinder Nann said the city needs to be clearer about "how we do that, to whom, and why," so communications are more purposeful and proactive. Kelly Gordon said the community circle's work reflects "the principle of nothing for us without us."

Wilson said the issue is not only technical: "This is not a scientific problem. This is an equity problem."

4. Community science and the GRIME project

The board heard about community-based dustfall sampling across Hamilton. A presenter said the goal was to collect backyard dustfall samples using a method residents could understand, and reported that "the specific makeup of the phes in all the locations… is consistent with coal combustion. It's not from traffic, it's from coal across the city."

Discussion also touched on the limits of the current proposal and whether future work should better connect scientific testing with community concerns. Vice-Chair Joseph said the board had moved into "a much larger scale" discussion than when the item began.

5. Motion on provincial contaminant exemptions and expired standards

The board discussed a motion reaffirming opposition to extensions and special permissions for contaminants granted by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Mayor Andrea Horwath's motion called for "respecting reaffirming opposition to extensions and special permissions for contaminants by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks."

Horwath also said, "I'm really really supportive wherever we can find the ability to use our voice to stand up with Hamiltonians with neighbors to tell the province no."

Councillor Wang added, "So technically they're out of compliance with Ontario air quality regulations right now."

Motions

Passed: - Motion 9.1: Reaffirming opposition to extensions and special permissions for contaminants by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks - Items 7.2 related to BOH26026 / BOH26025 - Item 12 bylaw approval

Received for information: - Item 7.1: Report on black soot sampling and community engagement feasibility

Introduced: - Notice of motion related to black soot sampling

Attendees

The following board members were referenced in the discussion:

• Mayor Andrea Horwath
• Councillor Alex Wilson
• Councillor Nrinder Nann
• Councillor Esther Pauls
• Councillor Craig Cassar
• Councillor Mark Tadeson