Industrial Land Air Quality Study Picks Spots With Least Impact

Thursday, June 17, 2010 02:50 PM

Prince George, B.C. An air quality assessment on proposed industrial land sites in the Prince George area has selected the sites best suited for specific inudstrial uses.

The study looked at the air quality impacts of seven potential industrial sites being considered in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG): Hart North, Shelley, Airport South, Willow Cale, Stoner, Clear Lake, and Isle Pierre. The primary objective of this study was to identify which of seven potential industrial sites would have the least impact on air quality.

The industrial sites with the lowest air quality impact on Prince George, towns and residences were identified as follows:

• Light Industrial Classification:

The Shelley site appears to have the least impact on surrounding towns and residences. The Airport South site is located closer to the city of Prince George and nearby residences; however, it results in smaller concentration contours than the Willow Cale site. Therefore, Willow Cale is considered the least favourable light industrial site from an air quality perspective.

Light industrial would include ventures such as : automotive repair, warehouse/storage, semi-conductor/electronic component manufacturing

• Intermediate Industrial Classification:

The Clear Lake and Stoner sites appear to result in the lowest concentration contours and that dispersion tends to occur in a direction away from the nearest residences. They also show the least impact on Prince George due to their distance from the city.

The third most favourable intermediate industrial site from an air quality perspective is Isle Pierre as it is also located far from residences and it resulted in a small area of high predicted concentrations.

Intermediate Industrial would include enterprises such as: industrial machinery manufacturing, heating/air conditioning manufacturing, woodpellet production and veneer plywood/wood products manufacturing

• Heavy Industrial Classification:

The Isle Pierre site seems to have the least impact on the City of Prince George and therefore is considered the most favourable heavy industrial site from an air quality perspective.

Clear Lake is the next most favourable heavy industrial site followed by Hart North as they both have smaller contours and impact the City of Prince George and other residences less than Stoner.

Heavy industrial includes such ventures such as: an aluminium smelter, pulp mill, biomass energy production and petrochemical refinery.

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Posted on Thursday, June 17, 2010 02:50 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: gus on June 17 2010 3:47 PM

Better late than never? About 20 years late, but good to finally have it.

So what does this mean to PG? Will the city no longer allow these kind of industries as new businesses within its boundaries, other than light industrial and select types of intermediate industrial?

It is interesting to note that the Willow Cale Rd. area is considered the least favourable LIGHT industrial site. As we move along the Willow Cale closer to the City and towards the BCR, we have actually have intermediate and even heavy industrial.

Posted by: Eagleone on June 17 2010 4:36 PM

I don't believe the report. There is no way Isle Pierre is the best location for heavy pollution. I think it was a paid for report. The wind always blows down the Nechako valley into town... anyone that floats that river would know that. Its like a funnel into the PG bowl and really is just on the other side of Cranbrook hill if you aren't driving in a huge semi circle to get there by highway.

I think the report is designed to make the case for certain locations and has nothing to do with actual dispersing of pollutants outside of city limits like it claims.

Posted by: Retired on June 17 2010 4:56 PM

I�m sure that people living in Prince George would be thrilled by a drive to Ile Pierre for work every day. How much pollution would it create driving a diesel 4X4 each day to work.

Appears the RDFFG is following the Prince George method of planing. �We don�t care where its located as long as we get the tax dollars�.

Posted by: gus on June 17 2010 5:02 PM

Isle Pierre is 50 km from the foothills bridge going along the river valley. Direct flight is 28 km. A bit far for much concentration to be left by that time.

When we have a blowing wind, we do not have an inversion.

I used to be able to occasionally smell the asphalt operations that are 2 km up river from Foothills. That was not on windy or low velocity wind days, however.

Posted by: gus on June 17 2010 5:11 PM

Isle Pierre is 13 km from the south side of Bednesti Lake and 30 km from Cluculz Lake. People from both of those commute to PG or Vanderhoof to work. If they had a job at Isle Pierre, it would make rural living on a lake a much more interesting prospect.

Posted by: Palopu on June 17 2010 9:21 PM

I doubt if we will ever see any industry located in any of these areas. The trend to-day is to close down Sawmills, and Planers, Pulp Mills, Paper Mills, Mines, etc;

Cant think of anything that could or would locate here, we are in the middle of a wilderness. Anything produced here has to be shipped thousands of miles to market.

Posted by: gus on June 18 2010 7:55 AM

the main new one should be ethanol.