Group Challenges RTA SO2 Emissions Permit
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 @ 3:58 AM
Terrace, B.C. – A group of concerned citizens along with two northwest BC organizations is appealing the BC Ministry of Environment’s decision to let Rio Tinto Alcan increase sulphur dioxide emissions from the Kitimat aluminum smelter.
The permit change would allow SO2 limits to climb from 27 tonnes a day to 42 tonnes a day along with the increased production resulting from RTA’s smelter modernization. Local groups against the plan argue the company should invest in available technology to reduce the harmful emissions.
“The easy, responsible solution is to install sulphur dioxide scrubbers,” says Greg Knox, executive director of one appellant, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust. “Rio Tinto Alcan’s own experts have told us that scrubbers work well and can easily be installed at the new smelter – the company simply doesn’t want to spend the money.”
Knox says the estimated $100 million cost associated with scrubbers isn’t that much considering Rio Tinto Alcan is investing $3.5 billion on its modernization at the Kitimat operation.
Local food growers have expressed their concern about the health and environmental impact of increased sulphur dioxide emissions, including the acidification of soil and water.
The groups have taken their fight against the permit decision to the BC Environmental Appeal Board, but they say Rio Tinto Alcan is fighting their ability to appeal, saying RTA has challenged the standing of all the appellants to file the appeal.
Knox says they’re waiting to hear back from the Board on a decision.
Comments
‘local food growers in Kitimat? give me a break. Food production in the Terrace-Kitimat region is near zero folks. It would be rather educational if Ben actually named the ‘local groups’ and the source of their funding. Would be quite an eye opener for some of the more naïve readers…
It seems like a long time since such permits have been appealed in BC.
Rio Tinto Alcan, the so-called good corporate citizen, not using best available technology??
Just to compare the emissions of RTA to the local three pulp mills and the Husky refinery so that everyone can get a proper olfactory concept of this.
The annualized permitting for RTA moves from 9,855 tonnes to 15,330 tonnes.
The annual actual emissions in Prince George were 3,624.5 tonnes in 2003. (on a quick search it appears that 2003 was the last time that summary information was provided.)
So the total emissions permitted in by RTA in Kitimat was about 2.7 times higher than the actual total pulp mill+refinery emissions in PG in 2003. Now that will be lifted to 4.2 times higher.
The venting conditions in Kitimat would be different than PG. That would have to be taken into consideration. In the past, Kitimat annual average concentrations of SO2 at the Haul Rd. monitor were about 10ug/m3 which compares to about 6 at the PG Plaza 400 monitor. Two of the several monitors in Trail were about 25ug/m3 which was the highest in the province.
There have been further improvements at the pulp mills since 2003, so I expect the local annual total emissions as well as the average annual concentration of SO2 to be lower than 2003.
So, it appear to me that there is likely some merit to an appeal, irrespective of whether there are backyard growers of cabbage or not,
Acid rain, burn baby burns.
SO2 is one of the more nastier gasses out there but its hazard effects are from direct exposure which results in damage to lungs, skin and eyes. Once in the atmosphere it dilutes itself.
The permit change is almost doubling the release limits which theoretically is doubleing the threashold limit value for anyone who will be exposed. So in this case i beleive this is not just eco nazi’s at work they do have a valid point..
Isn’t it a bit late in the game for them to be asking for the adjustment on allowable emission. Shouldn’t this have taken place before they spent the first billion dollars?
There is a lot of process and plant design that happens before some outcomes are known. They may have tried to stay within the existing limit but after some time spent in designing the plant and costing it out they likely discovered that it would be more costly and so are trying this route first.
I find it strange as well that they get along to a point by which one would think they have it all figured out, but in reality is that it takes more time than people envisage at first.
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