A local air quality watchdog group is expressing concern over a new application to discharge emissions in the city.
According to the provincial environment ministry, a consultant is completing public consultation for a permit application for air discharge as part of Husky Oil's remediation of their card lock facility at 2180 Noranda Road.
"The discharge system is to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater at the site," said a ministry statement.
"The air effluent will be discharged from a 4.5 metre stack located near the northwest corner of the site near commercial/light industrial properties."
One of the groups contacted for input was the People's Action Committee for Healthy Air (PACHA).
"The people of Prince George have a right to live and work in a city where they do not have to breath in more of these highly-toxic chemicals," said group president Dr. Marie Hay in an email to a ministry official, expressing "deep concern about the application from Husky Oil to emit further toxic, cancer-causing agents into the already heavily-polluted air shed within the city we live."
Gas and oil on the property is set to be cleaned up by using an air sparge, a process where air is pumped underground to help extract vapours from groundwater and wet soil beneath the water table.
According to the ministry, consultants have recommended air discharge limits that are 50 per cent below the current United States Environmental Protection Agency air discharge limits for the this treatment system.
The maximum rate of treated air discharged from the facility is expected to be 18 cubic metres per minute and will consist of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and napthalene.
"The proposed air discharge limits and modelling were reviewed by a ministry meteorologist in the Prince George office, indicated he agreed proposed emissions limits will minimize any impacts to air quality and human health considering the location of the residences," the ministry statement said.
Ministry staff are still working on the proposed monitoring/sampling and reporting program for the permit, which has yet to be issued.
In her letter to the ministry, Hay said the air sparge is the cheapest and quickest method for remediation, but it's not the safest or most efficient.
She pointed to bioremediation and systems that use to heat to remove hydrocarbons from soils without releasing emissions into the air.
