The average annual concentrations of particulate matter at the Vieux-Limoilou station are “among the highest in the province,” confirms a new air quality report that contains several recommendations destined in particular for the port of Quebec.
• Also read: Pollutants in Limoilou’s air: everyone is responsible, says Marchand
• Also read: Tram: No outcry in Vieux-Limoilou with divided streets
• Also read: Nickel in Limoilou: The Desperate Battle of Opponents
This is one of the conclusions of a more than 1,200-page report presented to the environment minister on Friday and published on Tuesday.
It was written by the Limoilou Working Group on Atmospheric Pollutants, chaired by Jean-Pierre Charland. On Tuesday evening, he invited around thirty citizens to present his paving stone at an information event.
Nickel: exceedances detected
The voluminous document recalls the issue of nickel, which has been at the center of debates since the Quebec government – since April 2022 – allowed daily concentration thresholds to be increased fivefold.
While the task force did not have a mandate to comment on this increase, it nonetheless noted that “despite the mitigation measures taken, exceedances of the standard are still observed, an unacceptable situation for a segment of the population”.
By retrospectively using the new daily limit (70 nanograms per cubic meter), Mr. Charland notes that there are still 44 exceedances of that limit at the Limoilou station (between 2011 and 2021) and 23 exceedances at the Quebec port stations (between 2011 and 2021 ) gave 2015 and 2021). At the beginning of 2022, this norm was exceeded five times, he said in the evening. However, the cancer risk from nickel has not been proven, the report says.
Traffic
The other “priority pollutant” the company is monitoring is nitrogen dioxide, “the most toxic form of nitrogen oxide.”
Its concentrations depend mainly on car traffic. Health Canada establishes a causal link between this road pollution and several types of disease and cancer. “We’re maybe a little too dependent on our cars,” said Jean-Pierre Charland in the evening while avoiding taking a position on the 3rd link.
handling and storage
The report contains around twenty recommendations. Of the four most urgent, to be implemented in less than a year, three concern the Port of Quebec. We recommend the “continued improvement of dust management procedures during the handling and storage of bulk materials at the Port of Quebec and the Limoilou Industrial District.”
A real-time measurement system for fugitive emissions and continuous improvement of dust management practices are proposed.
But also regulations on wood heating, the electrification of cruise ship docks and the cleaning of lanes are among the proposed paths.
Everyone’s responsibility, says Marchand
Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
According to Bruno Marchand, air pollution in Limoilou and Lower Quebec is everyone’s business and not a “single culprit”.
As soon as the task force’s report was unveiled, the mayor of Quebec accepted his share of the blame in a press conference while refusing to point the finger at those responsible for the polluting emissions.
“Many of us have a certain responsibility. The City of Quebec will take its responsibilities and be very proactive,” he stressed, saying he had already identified about forty possible solutions.
According to Mayor and Environmental Quality Manager Marie-Josée Asselin, the municipality is already on the right track, but there is still a long way to go. The new biogas center will improve combustion in the incinerator, which continues to receive heavy investment.
The city is betting on the tram, an “important element” of the change already underway. It will continue to expand its fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. It plans to plant 130,000 trees by 2029, collect dust more efficiently from street cleaning, announce smog warnings more proactively, and subsidize the replacement of old wood-burning stoves that emit particulate matter by 2026.
citizen arrested
Citizens contribute significantly to pollution through road traffic and non-compliant wood stoves, the mayor reminded. “As citizens, we have to make choices if we want to be part of the solution,” Marchand said. There must be many solutions and we must all be concerned about improving air quality. »
The mayor of Quebec refused to throw the rock at Quebec Harbor. According to him, “The port has a deep desire for cooperation, I can feel it. Mario Girard (the CEO) is committed to doing better and I have full confidence in him.”
With the collaboration of Stephanie Martin
what they said
“The port will have no choice (to review its practices) otherwise it will fail to gain community support,” Claude Villeneuve, leader of Quebec first.
“The city can no longer ignore it, it must stand firm and demand that Port of Quebec’s activities be covered,” Jackie Smith, Head of Transition Quebec.
“The Port of Québec recognizes the concerns of the community, particularly regarding nickel, and intends to support Glencore as a company in maintaining best practices and continually improving operating conditions,” The Port of Quebec.
“If there are significant mitigation measures [qui s’adressent au Port]because the port plays a major role in Quebec’s poor air quality (…) If transportation is a major source then action must be taken and this is another argument against the third link, Sol Zanetti, Representative for Quebec Solidaire.
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