An environmental scientist has claimed that if the regulators at the national and state level would have undertaken strict policy changes in the emission control, earlier, they would have been able to tame the metal contamination in Flin Flon manufacturing plant.

Elaine MacDonald, from Ecojustice, said that these regulators have been inefficient in controlling the harmful emissions, which have been adding to the pollution in the region since the last 20 years.

The researchers have been assessing these contaminations and emissions since the 80s, suggesting the regulators for imposing stricter standards in emission control. However, the regulators have remained ignorant, said MacDonald.

As per the data released by National Pollutant Release Inventory, the Flin Flon plant witnessed the emission most toxic mercury, sulphur dioxide and cadmium in 2008.

In the earlier year, he said, the figures reached the highest level in the nation, for Flin Flon, producing lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and sulphur dioxide.

“Now we’re at the point where a town has been contaminated, people’s health has been impacted and the facility has to close down”, MacDonald said.

He added that the regulators are being indolent and lousy. They could have been proactive and reduced the pollution.