PG Air Looks At Transportation Effects On Airshed
Sunday, March 4, 2012 @ 6:08 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The Executive Director of the PG Air Roundtable says last week’s session dealing with the transportation sector’s effects on the local airshed produced some valuable information on both gains and problems in that particular area.
Terry Robert says PG Air is looking at all the different components of the transportation sector and trying to develop an understanding of how they inter-relate with each other. For instance, he says, as the port in Prince Rupert grows and more cargo goes through it, it means all of the communities along the line are going to see increased traffic within their areas and that may result in increased emissions associated with the handling of that cargo, from the on-road fleet that’s meeting up with rail traffic but also within the rail yards themselves.
Robert says “there’s a need to be very careful when pursuing air quality reductions or greenhouse gas reductions that we don’t negatively affect the other. Whenever you’re looking at dropping greenhouse gas emissions you have to ensure you’re not dropping them at the expense of particulate matters.” He says “the key particulate to watch is the really tiny dust particles that you can’t see because they get down deep into the lungs and cause a lot of significant health concerns.”
Robert says we’re better off today than 3 or 4 years ago and we’re moving in the direction of continued improvements. He cites Canfor working to address “the smell side of its operations which is more of a nuisance component but nevertheless is a significant issue within the community and they’re working with the Roundtable to address it. One of the biggest nuts we’ve gotta crack is this road dust. Really the road dust is a big health concern in this community and so we’ve been trying to work with the City and they’ve conducted a few trials with different types of aggregate and different product, but really we’re still looking for the perfect solution in this matter.” Robert says there’s a business opportunity for someone interested in becoming a millionaire. Find a way to produce some sort or aggregate or product that we can put on the roads that will keep the roads safe for vehicles, not rust the, and not be harmful to the environment.
Robert says what has to be remembered as well is that, just like the weather, predicting air quality is not a perfect science. “It’s affected by so many different things: by the wind pattern of the day, the temperature, whether we have thermal inversion taking place. We have to remember there’s always a natural component of particulate matter in the air. There’s not a lot we can do about that. What we can do is make sure no stone is left unturned when is come to reducing emissions.”
Robert says current practices by industry and homeowners are being gathered in a snapshot to learn what is working and what is not so that when the issue is re-visited in two years, that information is available.
Comments
So tell us Mr. Robert, is there really anything new you are saying, or just a continuing SSDD?
This road dust bit, just as a for instance. You said something like “the road dust is a big health concern in this community and so weâve been trying to work with the City and theyâve conducted a few trials with different types of aggregate and different product.”
Are you aware that virtually every major city, mid-sized city, and small city in Canada has a winter that brings cold, snow, freezing rain, freeze thaw cycles and is responsible for keeping roads as safe and driveable during those 3 to 5 months as possible.
Are we the only city that has low air flow on many days, a few days of inversions every now and then, and other unique weather patterns? Or, are we the only city that has residential properties along main arterials?
Tell us, which other cities have had these “transportation problems” and have managed to study them, tried various solutions and have solved the great mystery?
When I read of talk like this, I feel I live in a community closed off from the rest of the world that has all these unique problems that need people to meet, and talk, and study, as if we are the only such community in this whole wide world.
We have northern communities in many parts of the world, all of which have transportation systems in place similar to ours and likely deal with snow and ice on motorways and local residential the same way we do.
Just because we have a uinversity here does not mean that we have to do these studies to keep those on the hill busy. There are many other things they can study.
This has been going on for what? 20 years? I, for one, am growing tired of the SSDD approach.
Oh gus you said it all. I dont have a word of wisdom to add.
cheers
“One of the biggest nuts weâve gotta crack is this road dust.”
Just to show how much of a SSDD situation we have here, read this short report from 2005
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/reports/pdfs/roaddustbmp_june05.pdf
The efforts of PG are cited in the report. So what else are we going to be doing now, 7 years after the report was written, and several more years after some of the itmes mentioned in the report had already been implemented?
For example, from Norway â âThis study investigates new sanding methods based on a mix of hot water and sand. Studies that are reviewed indicate that by adding hot water to the sand a friction level above the standard can be maintained after the passage of 2,000 vehicles. Under favourable road and weather conditions, satisfactory friction values have been maintained for up to 3 to 7 days with annual average daily traffic of 1,500 vehicles. This compares to using cold and dry sand on winter roadways where traction is reduced after the passage of only 50 vehicles. The new sanding method can be used under conditions such as hard blue ice, roads with high percentage of heavy vehicles and thin ice or frost on asphalt, where traditional methods have little effect.â
Then we have the problem associated with studded tires.
Again, from Norway: “In Oslo, Norway, road dust is blamed on studded tires and efforts
have been focused on reducing studded tire frequency.”
From Ontario, where there has been a studded tire ban in the southern section of Ontario (which includes such locations as Ottawa that have similar or worse wether as we do)
Ontarioâs studded tire ban has been in effect since 1973. In the face of criticism from motor vehicle safety analysts, questioning the nearly 30-year old policy, (CBC 2003a), the Ministry of Transportation reconsidered the studded tire ban during 1999-2000, conducting an extensive review of studded tire policies in other national and regional jurisdictions. Their findings supported the continuation of the studded tire ban âbecause, despite advances in technology, the disadvantages of studded tires continue to outweigh their advantages.â The specific disadvantages cited included the âconsiderable health and road safety problemsâ caused by studded tires, the âlimited potential [safety] benefitsâ compared to the negative impacts.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation estimates that it spends approximately $39 million Canadian per year on increased road maintenance due to pavement damage associated with studded tires (Ontario 2001).
Studded tires also contribute to the overall road dust toxicity. Road dust source apportionment studies have identified that wear of metal tire studs can contribute to the presence of heavy metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in the airborne dust. Dust produced by studded tires âgrindingâ the asphalt contributes to the heavy metal content of the dust.
Just so that we understand why PAH is an important factor in the PM makeup (PM is not just PM, there are considerable variations and can, in considering transportation systems, have an elevated PAH component coming from both the road surface as well as tire wear.)
The following health effects can occur after several years of exposure to PAHs:
â¢Cancer: Benzo(a)pyrene, a common PAH, is shown to cause lung and skin cancer, lung tumors
â¢Reproductive Effects: Reproductive problems and problems in unborn babiesâ development that were exposed tobenzo(a)pyrene.
â¢Organ Systems: A personâs lungs, liver, skin, and kidneys can be damaged by exposure.
Its all about the grants. Notice how they threw in C02 emissions, that is a guaranteed grant sucker. SSDD has no morals. I guess they haven’t heard of climategate 1 and 2 and fakegate.
Edmonton uses some sort of brownish rock that seems to have little or no dust related to it. Maybe the SSDD can arrange an expedition to Edmonton and check it out, and take in Ikea and the Mall.
“We have to remember thereâs always a natural component of particulate matter in the air”
Ah yes, I am reminded of that when sitting too closely to a person with, shall we say, questionable hygiene …… ;-)
Sorry, I thought more people were familar with the term SSDD …. :-)
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ssdd
It was the tag line used by the film crew of Dreamcatcher when they were in PG to do some of the filming.
Is it worth pointing out that transportation is really not the problem here? The main industries in town are consistently leaders in the province in terms of air pollution emissions.
For example, take the 2010 emissions inventory data from Environment Canada, and rank all the emitters from BC:
Pollutant Rank Source
n-Hexane #1 Husky
Benzene #2 Husky
Ethylbenzene #1 Husky
Cyclohexane #1 Husky
Hydrogen Sulphide #2 Canfor (Northwood)
Hydrogen Sulphide #5 Canfor (PG Pulp)
Hydrogen Sulphide #21 Husky
VOCs #4 Canfor (PG Pulp)
VOCs #6 Canfor (Northwood)
VOcs #15 Husky
PM (total) #16 Canfor (Northwood)
PM (total) #19 Canfor (PG Pulp)
PM10 #11 Canfor (Northwood)
PM10 #19 Canfor (PG Pulp)
PM2.5 #3 Canfor (Northwood)
PM2.5 #11 Canfor (PG Pulp)
The data are really quite staggering, especially with regards to the particulate matter rankings – Canfor is up against major mining operations!
Data source: http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/websol/querysite/query_e.cfm
Is it worth pointing out that transportation is really not the problem here? The main industries in town are consistently leaders in the province in terms of air pollution emissions.
For example, take the 2010 emissions inventory data from Environment Canada, and rank all the emitters from BC:
Pollutant Rank Source
n-Hexane #1 Husky
Benzene #2 Husky
Ethylbenzene #1 Husky
Cyclohexane #1 Husky
Hydrogen Sulphide #2 Canfor (Northwood)
Hydrogen Sulphide #5 Canfor (PG Pulp)
Hydrogen Sulphide #21 Husky
VOCs #4 Canfor (PG Pulp)
VOCs #6 Canfor (Northwood)
VOcs #15 Husky
PM (total) #16 Canfor (Northwood)
PM (total) #19 Canfor (PG Pulp)
PM10 #11 Canfor (Northwood)
PM10 #19 Canfor (PG Pulp)
PM2.5 #3 Canfor (Northwood)
PM2.5 #11 Canfor (PG Pulp)
The data are really quite staggering, especially with regards to the particulate matter rankings – Canfor is up against major mining operations!
Data source: http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/websol/querysite/query_e.cfm
Good info cheesegriller …. :-)
Oh … we don’t have any mines in PG city limits ….. :-(
…. maybe yet to come …
Can we add the two together? … LOL
“Urban Dictionary: SSDD”
“This WORD(?) is used usually by bored people whose lives are quite uneventful.”
LOL
…we don’t have any mines in PG city limits…. Well then can we total up all the “open pit” mines on Ospika? And use those as a focal point?
“Is it worth pointing out that transportation is really not the problem here? The main industries in town are consistently leaders in the province in terms of air pollution emissions”
Ummm, probably not, LOL. Countdown to the “if you don’t like e AQ in PG then move” comments in 3, 2, 1 . . .
The turnout at the transportation forum is more proof that it is SSDD, what did they get two or three members of the public show up.
Instead of talking about how about actually doing something with the $70k+ the city wastes on PG air. Sweep the main arteries a few times as conditions permit in the late winter. Why wait until every drop of snow is gone before starting to sweep.
I have mentioned here before, installing PLC controls for the lights along the bypass would have an immediate impact on air quality.
Pg air is a waste of time and money. I know that one company joined for the sole purpose of keeping tabs on PGCHA, as they were being targeted by them at the time.
As I pointed out above, the Husky Refinery in Prince George produces some of the largest amounts of atmospheric pollutants of any operation in BC. Let’s compare the 2010 pollution inventories with another refinery, the Chevron refinery in Burnaby.
The Husky refinery operates at approximately 12000 barrels per day (BPD). The Chevron refinery does over four times that amount, with an estimated production of 50000 – 55000 BPD.
With that in mind, ask yourself:
– why does Husky emit 19 times more toluene and ethylbenzene than Chevron?
– why does Husky emit 18 times more xylene?
– why does Husky emit 16 times more toluene?
– why does Husky emit 10 times more n-Hexane?
– why does Husky emit 3 times more cyclohexane and 3 times more VOCs?
– why does Husky emit 2 times more sulphuric acid?
– why does Husky emit 13% more SO2?
– how is it possible that with 4 times the output, the Burnaby refinery produces substantially less pollution?
All these data can be found at Environment Canada’s pollution inventory.
PGCHA???
If you mean PACHA, they joined for the same reason … to keep tabs on that and other companies. LOL
I agree, by now any money given to that group is as good as wasted. It has needed a thorough review by an outside agency almost since the beginning.
“why does Husky emit XX times more than the Chevron Refinery in Burnaby?
Let me see ….
1. Because the City of PG is “open for business”.
2. Because the local office of the MoE, makes sure that PG is “open for business”.
3. Because people in PG believe the output is the breath of money.
4. Because people in PG do not understand the difference between a breath of money and a breath of health.
“SSDD is used usually by bored people whose lives are quite uneventful”
Exactly!!! That describes the PGair group to a T.
DSSD can be used for engaged people whose lives are productive.
Different ****, Same Day. Now that would be something to behold.
Even DSDD would be a tolerable activity level to observe.
;-)
The city mistakes talking about something with getting things done. Downtown is a perfect example of this. There has been mayor’s task force, SGOTG, DBIA, CC Prospective, etc, etc. Lots of talk—-no action.
“The city mistakes talking about something with getting things done.”
I think in the case of PGair one can apply the following saying:
“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.” Laurence Peter
There is a reason why the City provides some funds to PGair. It keeps the ball in play rather than allowing the ball to score. ;-)
Greenhouse gas reductions? Maybe at the PG Civic Centre, but not across the street at Tim’s drive thru nor the CN yards. Some peoples ducks aren’t exactly in a row. Just an “idle” thought of mine.
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