Protect Bulkley Valley air

I am signing this petition because I want our Municipal and Provincial governments to protect Smithers' air quality by ensuring that emissions from businesses do not adversely impact our air quality and health.

These measures should include the best available technology to remove toxins before discharge, and to conduct effective monitoring.

Further Information (Smithers Air Quality)

Background:
Local episodes of poor air quality and their impacts on the health of Smithers residents are of great concern. These concerns are supported by the BC Lung Association who reported Smithers’ air as the second most polluted of all BC municipalities in 2013. (www.bc.lung.ca/airquality/stateoftheair-report.html). When stable, light-wind weather occurs in mountain valleys such as ours, pollutants emitted by wood stoves and industry accumulate in the valley bottom where many live and breathe. Since NewPro closed in January 2014, and new more efficient residential wood stoves are being used, Smithers’ air quality has improved significantly.

It is well documented in the health and science literature that poor air quality contributes to increased rates of cancer, heart disease, auto-immune diseases and respiratory illnesses amongst many other health problems. With this knowledge, we feel it is time for the Town of Smithers to take a leadership role in creating an environment for clean air for the people of Smithers and the Bulkley Valley.

We are asking that the Mayor of Smithers and his Council gather the necessary information to create a strong knowledge base that will guide sound health and economic decisions in the pursuit of clean air. We strongly recommend that Council petition the Ministry of Environment to not issue any new or amended discharge permits affecting Smithers’ airshed until an updated inventory of emission sources is complete and broad public discussions pertaining to impacts on clean air have occurred. This as an opportunity for the Town of Smithers and its residents to 'take stock' of our air quality and plan wisely for the healthy future of our community.

Framework for assessing air quality:
As a framework for assessing current air quality in Smithers and surroundings, up to date information is required:

We need an updated inventory of particulate matter (PM) sources affecting the Smithers airshed. There have been many changes since the last Ministry of Environment micro-emissions inventory for 2001-2002. (Weinstein, Ben 2005). PM2.5, or fine particulates, refers to particles that are 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter. PM2.5 is one of the most important outdoor air pollutants in B.C. from a human health perspective.

We need a review of the most up-to-date, 2014, air quality data, including how it compares with past years and to provincial and regional air quality targets. Air quality advisories should consider one-hour data, not just 24-hour averages. The number of respiratory and cardiovascular emergency room visits increase during episodes of poor air quality, even those of short duration.

The opinions of health experts should be sought. We believe conditions have improved since the 2007 BC Centre for Disease Control estimates suggested that the mortality attributable to air pollution in Northern BC was on the same order of magnitude as the mortality attributable to diabetes (Elliot, Catherine and Ray Copes 2007). Have conditions improved enough to safeguard our children's health?

Mayor and Council should help communicate this information to the public and receive public feedback. With up-to-date baseline information, Council and residents will be equipped to judge what level of additional air emissions, if any, are publicly acceptable. While we encourage the creation of new jobs in our community, we think it is a very bad idea to do so at that expense of our health.

NewPro pellet manufacturing plant major permit amendment application:
In June 12, 2015, Northern Engineered Wood Products Inc. (NewPro) applied to operate a pellet manufacturing plant in Smithers. While burning pellets creates less air pollution than burning round wood, their manufacture is another matter. Drying wood waste at high temperature to make the pellets can result in the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and inhalable fine particulates (PM2.5). As mentioned earlier, these chemicals may cause a variety of health problems when inhaled.

Independent evaluation of pollution control technology to be used:

NewPro already has a study underway to evaluate dispersion meteorology. This will help the Ministry of Environment trace exceedences of air quality standards to a specific source. This is a demonstration of good faith by the company. We are asking for an independent evaluation of the equipment that NewPro plans to use and to quantify the amount of PM2.5 and VOC’s they will be adding to our airshed. We feel that this study should be given directly to the Ministry of Environment and made public with no edit by the company. This information, along with an up-to-date inventory of emission sources (i.e. wood stoves) will enable informed public discussion.

Recommendations for Waste Management Permit PA-6099 (NewPro):

We feel that the company should be required to install whatever pollution control equipment is necessary to meet the provincial planning target of 6 ug/m3 

Temperature of drying belt to not exceed 105 degrees Celsius, since above this point VOC’s are driven from the wood waste.  Safeguards are needed here, as an increase in production can be achieved by turning up the dryer speed as well as the temperature. 

Emission monitoring:
 
While measuring PM2.5 (inhalable particulate) is a good measure of air quality, it’s important to recognize that VOC and formaldehyde, which are carcinogenic, can also be present in the emissions. As such they should be included in a rigorous monitoring program.

Stack monitoring should be accommodated without notification so that realistic emissions are surveyed on site.  

Full time video camera and appropriate lighting is an inexpensive means of ensuring that emissions are acceptable at all times.  Toxic emissions also occur after hours when Ministry of Environment staff are not available to pursue enforcement.

We feel it imperative that the Ministry of Environment employ One Hour (as opposed to 24-Hour) averages for ambient PM2.5 levels as an indicator of compliance. The rationale for this is that PM2.5 or VOC concentrations can reach a very toxic level for a short period when people are exposed to toxic air, but this value is not reflected in a 24-Hour average.

We wish to note it is commendable that NewPro proposes to utilize wood waste from logging operations as a source of bio-mass in the pellet manufacturing process. However, it is paramount that no new industry be allowed to operate in such a manner as to degrade the already poor air quality in Smithers.

During the permitting process, we have a narrow window of opportunity to be proactive in influencing the future quality of the air we breathe.

It is time for the Provincial and Municipal Governments to take a stand to protect our right to clean air.