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Clearing the Skies: Airshed
Management in Prince George
Mellissa Winfield-Lesk, M.Sc., B.ES
Environmental Quality Section Head, BC Ministry of Environment
President, Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable (PG AIR)
June 15, 2009 ~ Coast Inn of the North
http://www.bcairquality.ca/plans/airshed-planning-bc.html
Ambient Data Trends & Criteria
Milestones
Progress Reports
5 year review
Goals
Targets
Indicators
Strategy
1: Evaluate
the need for
a plan
6:
Implement,
monitor and
report
2: Identify &
engage
stakeholders
Committee Structure
Funding
Integrated planning
3:
Investigate
planning
synergies
5: Develop
the plan
4: Determine
Priority
Sources
Science-based decision making
Step 2: Identify Stakeholders – PG AIR
 MOE (Permitting & Air Quality)
 Northern Health Authority
 City of Prince George
 MOTI
 RDFFG
 UNBC
 Industry:
 Chamber of Commerce
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•
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Pulpmill
Railway
Oil and Gas
Wood Products
Asphalt/Cement/Gravel
Bioenergy
 District Medical Society
 Environmental organization
(PACHA)
 Fraser Basin Council
 First Nations
 Public Members
Step 4: Identify Priorities
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Pollutants
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Odour (Total reduced sulphurs)
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Fine particulate matter (PM10 / PM2.5)
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Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide
Planning
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Reviews/Referrals between regulatory authorities
Gaps
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Key emission sources?
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What about sources with no regulatory authority?
Emission Sources
Phase I
1997 - 2005
Step 5: Developing the Airshed Plan
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Odour reduction – sulphur stripping from settling ponds
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Hard surfacing of roads in BCR site
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Elimination of beehive burners
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ESP on Pulp Mill Stack
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Research:
o Emission Inventory
o Dispersion Model
o Chemical Speciation
Phase II
2006 - 2009
Anti-Idling
Woodstove Exchange
Clean Air Bylaw Review
Phase II
2006 - 2009
Air Quality
Warning Light
Progress
Report
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24% reduction in PM10 since 1995
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17% reduction in PM2.5 since 1997
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73% reduction in TRS since 1980
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Industrial air permit amendments & inspections
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Policy development: BAT, Offsets
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344 vehicles tested; tailpipe failure rate for pre-1998 vehicles double
than that in LFV – Air Care Program?
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111 woodstoves exchanged = ~ 7 tonnes PM reduction
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Phase II recommendations:
•
71% implemented and on-going
•
17% completed
•
12% not implemented
PG AIR Emission Reduction Target
“PGAIR to work with all particulate matter emission sources to voluntarily reduce fine
particulate emissions (PM10 & PM2.5) that are shown (by modeling and other studies)
to have a significant impact on ambient air quality.
Two- and five-year voluntary emission reduction targets will be set for significant
sources. Priority to be given to those significant emission sources that do not use Best
Achievable Control Technology. Targets should achieve the proposed provincial PM2.5
objectives by December 31, 2013, as follows:
- 24 hr average not to exceed 25 µg/m3; and
- continuous improvement target of 6 µg/m3 (annual average).
If ambient targets are not met by December 31, 2013, PGAIR will recommend other
strategies to reduce significant emission sources.
By December 31, 2016, the following should be achieved: an aspirational target of a
40% reduction on all significant emission sources; and an annual average PM2.5
ambient target of 5 µg/m3.”
Phase III
2010 – 2016?
Prioritizing significant emission
sources for reduction
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Single or multi-pollutant reduction strategy?
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Phase III Framework: what criteria should be considered
when making decisions to prioritize sources for reduction?
o Human Health Risks?
o Best Achievable Technology?
o $$$$ to reduce emissions?
o Environmental Performance?
o Nuisance Risks?