Environmental injustice is the notion that lower-income and equity-deserving groups tend to be unequally exposed to environmental health hazards such as air pollution, noise pollution, odour pollution, contaminated soil, unsafe drinking water etc. The disproportionate exposure experienced by these communities is a result of public policies and industrial practices, leaving them burdened with more of the costs and fewer of the benefits of economic development. These policies and practices are reinforced by government, legal, economic, and political institutions.

As a part of this role, Kerry receives requests for information, resources, and advocacy tools and provides support on key issues like air pollution, odour pollution, and noise pollution, primarily from industrial and transportation sources. But her work on local environmental impact and climate action goes beyond these areas.

Here are some examples of issues that have been a feature of the Ward 3 work:

• Community Climate Action

• Biodiversity and habitat loss

• Contaminated soil remediation

• Eco- or green gentrification

• Nature prescription programs

• Industrial impacts to Hamilton Harbour health

• Environmental classism in land use decisions

• Unsafe hazardous materials storage

• Energy justice/ energy poverty

• Cycling infrastructure and other sustainable transportation

• Greenwashing of industrial decarbonization efforts

• Railway impact assessments

If you have concerns or need guidance on any of these issues, please reach out. Together, we can work towards a healthier, more equitable environment for our community.

While the City of Hamilton's Public Health department has an air quality coordinator role, they do not directly deal with ambient air quality issues from a lived experience perspective. To read more about the City’s role on air quality, please click here.

Similarly, odour and noise pollution from industrial sources are only handled by the City in very limited capacities.  The City of Hamilton also has a corporate climate action strategy. In its current iteration, it does not address individual or community environmental impact experiences. This is important to keep in mind when seeking support from us.

Having healthy communities across Ward 3 means ending the inequity of experiences our residents face, like having air quality that matches other parts of the city and having unconditional access to necessary healthcare services to address basic and complex needs. It also means we are prepared to address real climate and health crises.

• Streets BY-LAW 86-077: Fouling the highway or mud tracking is when a vehicle spills or tracks mud, soil or building materials when leaving or entering a property, onto a city street. Drivers need to make sure their vehicles are not tracking materials onto the street. If material gets on the street, it is the driver’s responsibility to clean it.

• Yards BY-LAW NO. 10-118: To regulate exterior property maintenance including vegetation, waste and graffiti. Maintaining exterior of property: Every owner or occupant of property shall keep the yard of their property free and clear of all waste. Every owner or occupant of property shall keep the boulevard adjacent to their property free and clear of all waste.

• Property standards BY-LAW NO. 23-162: Standards for the Maintenance and Occupancy of Property - Dust or debris from unpaved/unmaintained lots: An area used for vehicle traffic or parking shall be paved with bituminous, concrete or equivalent surfacing or surfaced with crushed stone or other suitable and reasonably dust-free substance, and shall be maintained so as to properly perform its intended function.
  

The City’s By-law (Municipal Law Enforcement or MLE) staff are piloting a new initiative to address the gaps in existing by-laws and Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks or MECP regulations related to impacts like dust, dragout, noise and odour on residential areas caused by industrial and commercial facilities. 

The project enables MLE officers to:

• Respond proactively & reactively to complaints relating to industrial and commercial properties city wide

• Review the jurisdictional boundaries of current provincial legislation & current municipal by-laws;

• Explore & prepare new processes and by-laws to reduce negative impacts on and improve relationships between industrial/commercial businesses and the surrounding community 

The one-year pilot recognizes a reality we have constantly emphasized when advocating for Ward 3 residents: there are often negative impacts related to noise, odour, air and dust that are felt by residents as a result of proximity to industry. In the past, almost all complaints had to be referred to the MECP because of their jurisdiction, in spite of many of the impacts that have continued to be experienced by residents. 

• If you know or suspect an industrial or commercial source of an environmental impact such as dust, dragout, noise and odour, register a complaint. 

If you know or suspect an industrial or commercial source of an environmental impact such as dust, dragout, noise and odour, register a complaint.

For all complaints, include your contact info, the address or location of the complaint, and details about the complaint including dates and times. 

• City of Hamilton municipal by-law online complaint form:https://bit.ly/3EOMRUr 

• Call: 905-546-2782 Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press Option 1 to speak with a clerk or email: mle@hamilton.ca