Fluorinated gases pharmaceutical industries, as well as in refrigeration when combined with other gases. PFCs were commonly used as fire extinguishants in the past and are still found in older fire protection systems. They are also a by-product of the aluminium smelting process. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF) is used primarily as an insulation gas. It can be found in high-voltage switchgear and is used in the production of magnesium. HFCs were developed in the 1990s to substitute substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). As these substances were found to deplete the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol lays down provisions for them
Montreal flood of 1987 Montreal Metro, buses and suburban train service were stopped. The basement of an elderly care hospital in the Saint-Henri neighbourhood was flooded and 240 patients were left without electricity, food, and health services for a while. Most home insurance claims were declined unless the insured was specifically covered by a clause concerning flood. However, the car owners were covered. The Quebec government promised monetary help but only 20 to 40% of the expected C$40 million was ever distributed. Court cases against the municipal authorities, including a class action, were rejected as the flood was considered in legal terms an "Act