Canada: The Alberta Court of King's Bench has certified a class-action lawsuit against Amrize Canada (formerly Lafarge Canada), over allegations that emissions from its Exshaw cement plant have exposed nearby residents to carcinogenic dust and excessive noise. The certified class includes people who owned or lived on residential properties in Exshaw or Lac Des Arcs between 12 September 2016 and the date of certification.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of residents and property owners in the hamlets of Exshaw and Lac Des Arcs, claims emissions from the plant have damaged residents' homes and negatively affected their quality of life. Justice C.D. Simard ruled that the claims could proceed under Alberta's Class Proceedings Act, also certifying claims seeking punitive damages. The judge directed both sides to produce a litigation plan within 45 days. The statement of claim, filed in December 2023, states that ‘huge clouds of fine powder, including particles of bottom and fly ash, dolomite, granite, gravel, gypsum, limestone, Portland cement, sandstone and shale regularly leave the cement plant.’ The plaintiffs claim that problems worsened after the plant expanded in 2016.
The plaintiffs' lawyer Adam Bordignon said "Obtaining certification is a massive step forward for this case. We believe strongly in the validity and the merits of the alleged claims, and this provides us with an opportunity now to establish those claims in court. The representative plaintiff and class members are very pleased with the outcome."
