Windsor West MP Brian Masse is criticizing the federal and provincial governments for not doing more to assess the consequences of allowing more hazardous materials to cross the Ambassador Bridge.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) decided last week to permit so-called Class 8 hazardous materials – corrosive material like battery ingredients – on the bridge starting in October.

It will also allow Class 3 material, or flammable and combustible liquids.

Masse said Michigan took care of its residents by conducting a thorough risk assessment before making its decision.

But he says neither the province nor the federal government have done the same for Canadians.

Decision follows proposal from the Ambassador Bridge

“We’re into increased probabilities of toxic materials into fresh water and … delaying other trucks because they need escorts,” Masse said.

“So it’s a drag on our economy as a result of poor planning and poor analysis.”

Neither the federal or provincial governments responded to requests for comment Tuesday evening.

Michigan’s decision follows a proposal from the Ambassador Bridge company, made in September 2020, to allow the materials on its span.

Currently, and until the restriction formally lifts in October, trucks carrying this material must travel to cross at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ont.

The bridge corporation said it would “dramatically improve safety in the State of Michigan and enhance the smooth flow of international commerce in the Detroit-Windsor corridor,” according to a news release issued in November of 2023.

Peter Berry is the habour master with the Windsor Port Authority. (Jason Viau/CBC)

The  MDOT report, released the same month, concluded that there is “a small difference in statewide risk if the existing Class 3 and 8 restrictions were lifted; however, the difference is not significant enough to make a compelling case for or against any changes.”

Approximately 32,500 Class 3 shipments and 17,000 Class 8 shipments cross the border from the United States to Canada each year, according to the report. MDOT estimated that approximately 7,000 of the Class 3 and 3,000 of the Class 8 shipments would shift to using the Ambassador Bridge.

The harbour master and chief operating officer of the Windsor Port Authority said he’s concerned about any collision that involves hazardous material that takes place on a bridge – whether it’s the Ambassador Bridge or the Blue Water Bridge

“Now [there’s] a dust or there’s fluid that’s now leaking out and pouring over the side into the river and into the lakes,” Peter Berry said.

Brian Masse is the NDP MP for Windsor West. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

“It’s always a concern if there’s not a catchment system in place.”

The Blue Water Bridge just closed on the Labour Day weekend due to a diesel spill from a truck, Berry said.

He wants to know where that fuel ended up.

His concern isn’t just for the ecosystem and the fishing, he said, but also for the integrity of the water supply.

“We have water intakes both for homes as part of our water supply,” he said, “but also commercial water intakes for cooling that are vital to that industry.”

The Gordie Howe Bridge, scheduled to open in 2025, will have a catchment system in place to protect against environmental damage from spills, he added.

Masse said he’s concerned that the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge stands to benefit from increased traffic while Windsor taxpayers could find themselves footing the bill in an emergency.

He is pushing the province and federal government to object to the passage of the hazardous freight until they’ve done their own assessments of the economic and environmental impact, he said.

The restrictions will be lifted Oct. 29, 2024 and hazardous materials traffic will be permitted during off-peak hours with vehicle escorts.

The bridge company said in November its fire suppression system “meets all applicable codes, is designed to address incidents arising from all of the foregoing classes of hazardous materials and is regularly inspected by the City of Detroit Fire Department and the City of Windsor Fire and Rescue Services.”