Air Quality and Asphalt Plant Report Still Being Developed

By 250 News

It will be December before Prince George CIty Council has a look at the full report on asphalt plants and air quality in Prince George.

The City's Manager of Environment, Mark Fercho says he is hoping to have his report ready for early December. 

The need for a study and comparison of asphalt plant emissions with  situations in other communities is the result of  three asphalt plants in one area and a very busy asphalt season. Three plants were up and running in the North Nechako / Ottway road area.   Residents in the neighbourhood complained of poor air quality and demanded change. 

The Ministry of the Environment says  all three  plants were in non compliance over the paving season, although one was an administrative issue.  Columbia and Pittman have both submitted  plans on how  they  plan to be in compliance when the next paving season starts.

"Certainly our first priority is to ensure the plants are in compliance" says Fercho, but the next step may be a review of the provincial regulations for asphalt plants.  "The regulations were developed to cover asphalt plants province wide with average conditions." says Fercho "It may be that some areas in the Province have better air flow, and in Prince George we have some geographic constraints.  So the regulations may be O.K. for an area where there is lots of air movement" says Fercho "In  our situation, in P.G. what we need to ask is , is that appropriate?"

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