MONTREAL, March 31, 2026, 08:09 EDT
Quebec looks set to extend Glencore’s deadline for cutting arsenic emissions at its Horne smelter, Canadian Mining Journal said Tuesday, citing a proposed provincial bill that would delay tougher caps until 2029. On Monday, Bloomberg reported Ottawa is considering roughly C$150 million ($108 million) in aid for new pollution-control tech.
Why does it matter? Horne stands as the only copper smelter in Canada, handling roughly 16% of North America’s smelting capacity each year, Bloomberg notes. Glencore has warned that shutting down the Rouyn-Noranda operation would put its Montreal refinery in jeopardy too—potentially affecting around 3,200 jobs, both direct and indirect.
The Horne plant isn’t just handling mined concentrate. It stands out as one of the rare North American operations that can process both copper concentrate and electronic scrap. According to Glencore, it’s also Canada’s sole facility accepting copper scrap from lithium-ion battery recycling.
An agreement on the table would push back the introduction of a 15-nanogram-per-cubic-metre arsenic cap—from 2027 to 2029—while maintaining the plant’s operating permit through March 2033, according to Canadian Mining Journal. Glencore spokesman Fabrice de Dongo described the proposed change as “an encouraging development,” but said the company won’t be making further comments until lawmakers finish their work. Canadian Mining Journal
Back in February, Glencore halted close to C$1 billion in planned investment for its Quebec copper facilities after negotiations with Quebec stalled out—about C$300 million of that was set aside for reducing emissions. The company warned at the time that without these upgrades, Horne could fall short of requirements slated to kick in March 2027.
Chief Operating Officer Marc Bédard, speaking then, said Glencore had “worked in good faith and explored every option,” but the absence of predictable operating rules kept the company from signing off on such significant spending. Glencore added it was still willing to consider financial tools to help shoulder part of the immediate risk. Glencore Canada
The relief plan’s future remains in limbo. Quebec public health officials cautioned that delaying the stricter deadline would leave people near the plant exposed to toxic metals for a longer period, posing the greatest danger to children and pregnant women.
Glencore points to a drop in emissions, saying in its March 26 statement that average arsenic concentrations at Horne’s official monitoring station fell 46.5% from 2022 to 2024. The company also reported that 99% of Rouyn-Noranda’s urban area saw arsenic levels at or below 15 ng/m3 in 2024.
Still, Bloomberg notes the proposed 15 ng/m3 limit comes in at five times Quebec’s own safety threshold. Charles Cooper, who leads copper research over at Wood Mackenzie, called Horne “absolutely instrumental” for the North American copper market, cautioning that its loss would wipe out a key hub for extracting critical metals. SWI swissinfo.ch
The timing of the dispute coincides with copper’s rising profile in the mining sector. In February, Reuters reported that BHP and Rio Tinto are ramping up their push into copper as a growth engine. Glencore, for its part, ended its merger discussions with Rio earlier this year due to disagreements over terms.
The big question right now: will Quebec actually pass the amendment, and will Ottawa come through with funding for the cleanup? Industry Minister Melanie Joly’s office told Bloomberg the smelter counts as a “strategic asset” for Canada, but that hasn’t brought a deal yet. No agreement on money or rules, and Glencore is already threatening to shutter the site. SWI swissinfo.ch
