Does anyone remember "not one more tonne?"
Back in 2010, the Millar Addition Citizens Coalition was formed to fight the Community Energy System, which was a proposed biomass burner to be situated right in the downtown. It was to be located close to our homes and schools in the Millar Addition. While the coalition was successful in making the biomass plant relocate, there was still an ongoing odour problem in Prince George.
The Millar Addition coalition continued its struggle to clean up the P.G. air shed. We first approached all levels of government. This proved to be pointless as it appeared as if governments were more interested in supporting big business than us as individuals. Inspired by the example set by the Global Community Monitor Bucket Brigade, we decided to take air samples at our own expense and have them professionally analyzed.
Shortly after we began, the environment ministry approached us and suggested they would give us the canisters and pay to have them analyzed if we took the samples ourselves.
I, and one other Millar Addition resident, began taking samples in March of 2011.
Each morning we checked the air before going off to work. If the air was putrid, we stopped our plans, set up canisters to take the sample - a one-hour procedure. At the end, the canister was taken to the Ministry of Environment offices for analysis.
We took our last sample in June 2012.
When I arrived in 1973, the air was often foul smelling and people put up with it - "the smell of money" and all that nonsense. Even when it was known that P.G. had a higher rate of lung cancer, childhood asthma and chronic obstructive airways disease than other places in BC, nothing was really done.
After all we didn't want big business to close shop.
Analysis of the canisters showed many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of which two were above acceptable levels - Acrolein (sources: pulp mills, oil refineries, vehicle emissions, residential wood combustion) and Alpha-Pinene. (source: manufacturing, wood based industries.) After the results were known, the odours largely disappeared.
Many individuals have given their time to clean up the air in this town. If the proposed Olefins petrochemical plant goes ahead as indicated, it will be telling us that our health and welfare are unimportant.
This is not the way to grow a city.
Wendy Barteluk
Prince George
