Metro Vancouver says it has received more than 100 complaints from residents in Vancouver and Burnaby about the “strong chemical smell” coming from the Burnany refinery.
The strong and unpleasant smell of burning plastic spread throughout the region, particularly in Vancouver and surrounding areas early in the morning. A Burnaby Fire Department spokesperson confirmed that an incident at the Burnaby refinery, a suburb of Vancouver, was the cause of the smell.
Parkland Refining, the company that owns the refinery, has an air emissions permit, according to a news release from Metro Vancouver. Environmental regulators and law enforcement officials are on site to assess the situation and gather information.
However, emergency services indicate that the incident was not an emergency situation.
Vancouver Fire Department Deputy Chief Pierre Morin says the cause of this smell remains uncertain. For her part, the head of the Vancouver Fire Department, Karen Fry, speaks of an industrial accident related to hydrocarbons.
Parkland said in a statement that the smell was caused by a problem with one of the Burnaby refinery's processing units. She ensures she works with the Burnaby Fire Department and the RCMP. No injuries have been reported at this time. […] and our teams continue to work to resolve this temporary incident.
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At approximately 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time, the City of Vancouver issued a public safety advisory (New Window) asking residents to stay home with doors and windows closed. If this is not possible, the city recommends seeking shelter at a community center or library. The Burnaby Fire Department is making the same recommendations to anyone who notices a strong odor related to the incident.
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The British Columbia Ministry of Environment also advises people suffering from this smell to stay indoors.
Provincial officials who respond to environmental emergencies are monitoring the situation and working with the Parkland company to mitigate any potential air quality impacts, the ministry said in an email to CBC/Radio-Canada.
Additionally, on January 19, the Parkland Refinery (New Window) reported a fume hazard due to weather conditions particularly affecting the Greater Vancouver area, including a blizzard and freezing rain.
This refinery, purchased by Alberta company Parkland in 2017, supplies about a quarter of Greater Vancouver's gasoline and diesel.