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Montreal Lawyer Files Motion Against Tembec

Montreal, QC -Montreal lawyer Leonard Seidman has filed a motion in Superior Court alleging that Tembec has a “culture and policy of suppression of information relating to worker safety and environmental pollution,” The Montreal Gazette has reported.

The motion demands that Tembec turn over all documentation pertaining to gas leaks, equipment breakdowns, and incidents that resulted in inhalation of toxic gases by employees.

The Gazette confirmed that Seidman’s client is Michael Thomas, a consulting engineer based in Dallas, TX, but who took a tour of Tembec’s pulp and chemical facilities in Temiscamingue, on May 24, 2006. He alleges he suffered poisoning by sulphur dioxide and that as a result, he lost 25% of his lung capacity, The Gazette reported. The publication further noted that between 2004 and 2007, the company had 120 incidents of toxic gases leaks that lead to more than 30 employees to seek hospital treatment.

The motion was filed the week of April 7, and Tembec has 30 days to produce all ‘relevant’ documents, The Montreal Gazette confirmed.