MoE Asks For Public Assistance in Odour Probe
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 @ 2:48 PM
Prince George, B.C. – The source of the sulphur odour that is causing complaints, has not yet been determined, but the Ministry of the Environment says the usual players have been contacted. “We’ve asked the pulp mills and the refinery to check their operations to ensure their emissions equipment is operating properly” says MoE Meteorologist Dennis Fudge.
Fudge says air quality monitoring equipment recorded high levels of sulphur (159 parts per billion) overnight last night and in three previous days. He says he fully expected the air shed would “flush out” when the thunderstorm cell moved through the region overnight. While the levels did drop, the odour persists.
Fudge says he is aware people believe there is some sort of emission issue overnight, but says the increased levels are most likely the result of low level sulphur emissions that accumulate during the day and are held in by a high pressure system. The cooler temperatures at night combined with the river flow, push the contaminants southward, along the Fraser River.
“It would really be helpful if members of the public could contact our complaint line and let us know when, and where they smelled the odour” says Fudge “If they could describe the odour as well, that would really help us in trying to establish a source.” The complaint line number is 250- 565-4487. You don’t have to leave your name, but any other information you can think of that might assist would be appreciated.
Fudge says the air quality monitoring system on the roof of Plaza 400 was knocked out by the thunderstorm this morning, however, he says the high levels it had recorded prior to the storm were echoed by the equipment located at the Prince George Correctional Centre, so he has confidence the equipment was working properly when it recorded levels in the 159 ppb range.
The levels have been unusually high for the past 4 days, something Fudge says seems to be the result of a stagnant high pressure system that was locked into the area. As for when the system may collapse allowing the air shed to clear, Fudge is reluctant to make a prediction saying Mother Nature doesn’t always stick to what she is expected to do.
Comments
Its cause is a combination of things…BC Rail scandal and our present PG Mayor’s “core review…”
It is the refinery. Not sure why the government is playing dumb about it.
This stentch started on friday night. We went to visit friends on airport hill and could not stand it.
Anybody with a H2S ticket can tell you what it is, SOUR GAS, full name Hydrogen Sulphide, it can take your sense of smell away in a minute if concentrated and kill you in two. I took the course at the Refinery four years ago.
I cannot believe these people are so stupid and we as public are not more vocal against this. Weibo was.
If you drive down Queensway Street the smell seems to increase near the slough. The smell could be travelling along the Fraser River which leads me to believe that it is coming from either the pulp mills or the Husky Oil Refinery. I was hear when the Pulp Mills fired up and lived with the smell, but it never smelled like this. I say the Husky is to blame..
I live west of town. Maybe twice a year do we get the “smell” of downtown. Last night at 12:30 am I woke up to this disgusting smell. Had to shut all our windows. I phoned the numbered above to inform them of this info. Some company has to be held accountable for this.
I live in the millar addition and for the last 3 nights the odour was disgusting. We shut out windows as well and have been experiencing headaches. What a joke the Ministry of Environment is.
littlebird: “Some company has to be held accountable for this.”
When has anybody ever been held accountable? This town has stunk for years. We’re famous for it.
So does the city have a clean air detective? How much does He/She get paid from the tax payer’s purse? Does Mr. Fudge get paid for making phone calls or does he get paid for getting off of his butt and do some investigative reporting. It seems that our local reporters forgot how to get off of their butts and report to the people of Prince George precicely what the problem is???
So does the city have a clean air detective? How much does He/She get paid from the tax payer’s purse? Does Mr. Fudge get paid for making phone calls or does he get paid for getting off of his butt and do some investigative reporting. It seems that our local reporters forgot how to get off of their butts and report to the people of Prince George precicely what the problem is???
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