The closure of the clay tennis terrains in Saint-Sauveur last week, due to the presence of asbestos in the har-trute sand bags used for maintenance, made snowball. Almost everywhere in Quebec, municipalities had to close their facilities preventively pending the recommendations of the federal authorities.
Last Thursday, the city of Saint-Sauveur announced that its clay tennis terrains would be closed until further notice due to an environmental intervention Canada revealing the presence of a rate greater than 0.01 % asbestos in the sandbags reserved for maintenance.
The preliminary tests carried out on the surface of the land demonstrated for their part a regular rate, indicated the medical adviser in environmental health at the Directorate of Public Health of the Cisss des Laurentides, the Dre Marie-Claude Lacombe last week.
On August 6, through a press release, the company responsible for the distribution of Har-Tru products in Canada, a short PC, ordered its customers “to stop using the green clay of Har-Tru brand and to put aside all the bags not used until further notice. »»
Many municipalities have therefore announced the preventive closure of their clay, under the recommendation of Environment Canada.
This is particularly the case for the district of Outremont, Montreal, which announced to its citizens that it would close the terrains in clay in the Joyce, Saint -Viator and F. -X parks. Garneau.
The date of reopening is unknown and the city of Montreal insists that “the land will be reopened only when we have the certainty that the products used on these terrains are safe. »»
Same scenario for the fields of the Maurice Richard Park in Repentigny, or in the municipalities of Prévost and Rosemère.
Environment Canada responsibility
The analysis of the Har-Tru product was carried out by the federal government, specifies the relationist Gonzalo Nunez. It is the federal authorities who are responsible for “approving the product for its import and use in Canada,” he adds.
Contacted by The pressEnvironment Canada refused to provide details on the current survey. However, it is specified that the regulations prohibiting asbestos and products containing asbestos prohibits “import, use and sale of asbestos as well as the manufacture, import, use and sale of asbestos products, with a limited number of exclusions. »»
These exclusions were only accepted in “exceptional circumstances”.
Har-TRO sand bags used to maintain clay surfaces are used by the majority of municipalities, in addition to being an official tennis canada sponsor.
To this end, the grounds of the IGA internship were temporarily closed, although the facilities “were not used for the practice of tennis during the tournament”, specifies the organization.
