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Pulp Mill Permit Emission Levels at Odds with Health Guidelines |
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A new study of the air quality impacts of the Crofton pulp mill reveals that the air pollution permit levels could expose a wide swath of the countryside to air quality worse than provincial or federal guidelines.
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Reach for Unbleached and the Crofton Airshed Citizens Group commissioned RWDI Air to model the potential impacts of the Catalyst Crofton mill emissions at the maximum levels allowed by the permits from the provincial government, or actual limits, whichever were higher. The pollutants studied were particulate matter, total reduced sulphur (TRS), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), and dioxins and furans (PCDD/DFs). With the exception of chlorine dioxide which was modeled at actual levels well over the permit level, the study does not show the actual impact of the mill’s emissions, rather what they would be if the mill operated with permit level emissions.
The study found that an area about one hundred square kilometres, reaching from Maple Bay towards Chemainus and including the west side of Saltspring Island, would be exposed to TRS over the BC 24 hour "Level A" objective for five percent of the time, about 18 days a year. The area in close proximity to the mill would exceed that level for one day in five. Modelled 24-hour maximum TRS concentrations at permitted levels were up to seven times higher than the Level A 24-hour objectives for most of the Crofton area. TRS is responsible for the particular sulphur odor of pulp mills.
The report concluded that an area immediately around the mill exceeded the Alberta one hour air quality objective (BC has none) eight percent of the time, or approximately 29 days of the year for chlorine dioxide at current emission levels. The mill maintains that the permit levels are not achievable and is currently filing for a permit amendment that would see the chlorine dioxide limits removed from the permit.
Ambient levels of pollutants are measured and recorded at monitoring stations in the area, however the study found that the stations may not be located to accurately measure the impacts of the mill’s emissions. In all cases, two of the three air monitors in the area are located outside the predicted areas of major impact.
The report highlights the apparent disconnect between permit setting policies and health guidelines and objectives and is a call for reconciliation between them by the provincial regulatory authorities.
Read the full report
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Permit Levels Emissions Study