Chemtrade After 2030: Why the District of North Vancouver Should Say No to Continued Liquid Chlorine Production

On April 13th, 2026, District of North Vancouver Council made what I believe was the right decision when it rejected Chemtrade Electrochem Inc.'s application to continue producing liquid chlorine beyond 2030. That decision placed public safety, long-term community planning, and risk management ahead of corporate convenience.

Now, as the issue returns for further consideration, I believe Council should stand firm.

If Chemtrade wishes to continue operating in North Vancouver beyond 2030, it should be required to seriously explore transitioning away from liquid chlorine production and toward safer products such as sodium hypochlorite (bleach), while continuing to manufacture other important products such as caustic soda and hydrochloric acid.

This is not an argument against jobs. It is not an argument against industry. It is an argument that the residents of North Vancouver should not be expected to assume extraordinary levels of risk so that a private company can continue maximizing profits through the manufacture and transportation of one of the most hazardous industrial chemicals in use today.

The central issue is liquid chlorine.

If released from pressurized containment, liquid chlorine rapidly vaporizes into chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is highly toxic and corrosive to the lungs. It is heavier than air, meaning it tends to travel along the ground and collect in low-lying areas, streets, ravines, basements, and industrial corridors.

In a worst-case scenario, particularly following a major earthquake, a large chlorine release could create a toxic gas plume capable of causing serious injury or death over a significant area. People closest to the release may have only minutes to escape before exposure becomes life-threatening.

This is not alarmism. It is the reason chlorine production facilities are subject to extensive risk assessments and emergency planning requirements.

What concerns me and many residents is that the consequences of a catastrophic release are so severe that even if the probability of such an event is low, the potential impacts remain unacceptable.

The District must consider not only what is likely to happen, but also what could happen.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding Chemtrade's application is whether the risks associated with rail transportation have been adequately addressed.

Chemtrade's quantitative risk assessment focused largely on the proposed relocation of facilities and scrubber systems on the site itself. However, many residents remain concerned that the assessment did not fully evaluate broader risks associated with chlorine rail transportation through populated urban areas.

Rail cars containing chlorine travel near homes, schools, daycares, businesses, and community facilities in North Vancouver and Burnaby. If a release were ever to occur during transport, the consequences could extend far beyond the boundaries of the Chemtrade property.

These transportation risks deserve far greater scrutiny before any approval is granted.

There are also important questions about long-term land use planning.

The Maplewood Village and Lower Lynn/Seylynn/Lynn Creek areas have undergone extensive redevelopment and planning over the past two decades. Many residents supported that vision under the understanding that liquid chlorine production would cease by 2030.

Approving continued chlorine production would effectively reverse those expectations and lock the community into decades of continued industrial risk.

Council must ponder whether preserving liquid chlorine production is truly consistent with the long-term vision for Maplewood and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Another important fact often overlooked is that liquid chlorine production is not necessarily essential to municipal drinking water treatment in Western Canada.

Many municipalities now use sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, or other chlorine-based disinfection systems, rather than relying on the transportation and storage of large volumes of liquid chlorine. In fact, only a relatively small percentage of Chemtrade's chlorine production remains in Western Canada, while the majority is transported elsewhere, including into the United States.

This raises an important question.

If most Western Canadian municipalities are already using bleach-based systems, why must North Vancouver residents continue accepting the risks associated with large-scale liquid chlorine production and transportation?

Chemtrade often argues that bleach presents challenges because of its shorter shelf life. While that may be true from a business perspective, it does not answer the larger public policy question of whether residents should bear the risk simply because liquid chlorine is more profitable or more convenient to transport.

The company could continue producing bleach, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid while reducing or eliminating liquid chlorine production.

Those alternatives deserve serious consideration.

There are also broader emergency preparedness concerns.

If a major chlorine release were to occur following a significant earthquake, roads, communications systems, water infrastructure, and emergency services could all be compromised simultaneously. In such a scenario, evacuation may not be possible for everyone.

Shelter-in-place orders could be difficult to communicate.

First responders themselves could face extraordinary hazards.

Residents deserve clear answers about how such an event would be managed and whether local emergency services possess the specialized hazardous materials capacity necessary to respond effectively.

None of this diminishes Chemtrade's historical safety record or the dedication of its employees. The facility provides approximately 120 well-paying jobs and contributes tax revenue to the community. Those are meaningful benefits.

However, public policy decisions must weigh benefits against risks.

When the potential consequences involve thousands of residents, schools, daycares, businesses, and entire neighbourhoods, the threshold for approval must be extraordinarily high.

Council's responsibility is first and foremost to protect the health and safety of residents.

As the June 16th 2026 public hearing approaches, I encourage residents to become informed, ask questions, and make their voices heard. Email the Mayor and Council (council@dnv.org) and (mayor@dnv.org). I will also be conducting a Lower Lynn community survey so that local residents can directly share their views with Council.

My position is straightforward.

If Chemtrade wishes to continue operating in North Vancouver beyond 2030, it should transition away from liquid chlorine production and focus on safer products such as bleach, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid.

If it is unwilling to do so, then Council should uphold its April 14 decision and reject the application.

The long-term safety, health, and future planning interests of North Vancouver residents must come first.