Oakville Newspapers

Oakville Beaver, 5 Nov 1993, p. 9

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Apart from health problems, the audience had other issues on its mind. One woman asked why the refinery‘s sirens are allowed to disturb resiâ€" dents‘ sleep. She said they sounded "from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. one Sunday moming" and at many other times. (Continued from page 5) feel uncomfortable saying it‘s a nuiâ€" sance problem. It needs much more research." More research may be done in the fall of next year if a followâ€"up to the health study gets the green light. And it may, since Nosal stated that at least regional funding was available for it. Sider said a comparison of the same residents next year would indicate to what degree Petroâ€"Canada‘s Odor Action Plan, instituted two years ago, is having an effect. To this, Bob Gillespie of Petroâ€" Canada replied that the sirens sound for two minutes every Monday at noon for emergency drill and sound again for the allâ€"clear. Mulvale suggested a monitoring of the siren with a report back about the duration of the sound. At the same time, she noted that she was often awakened "in the middle of the night" with calls from those bothered by odors. "I don‘t want that any more, thank you," she said. Another issue arose regarding odors from Petroâ€"Canada‘s waste water treatment plant. Gillespie explained that a "Hotline" the compaâ€" ny had set up for residents‘ comâ€" plaints and observations was responâ€" sible for the discovery of "a small source of odor" related to the processâ€" ing the company carries out of anothâ€" ercompany‘s waste water. In a presentation before the quesâ€" tion period, Gillespie mentioned the treatment plant as the object of a study the company has commisâ€" sioned. The goal is to find methods of controlling treatment plant odors. He said Petroâ€"Canada is also looking at different methods of collecting and absorbing odors when filling its asphalt tanks as well as upgrading its sulphur recovery system. Sulphur odors were another source of comâ€" plaint from the residents. Why odors are more noticeable at night, as one member of the audience noted, was explained by Sider who said study researchers had noticed a shift in wind patterns at night that caused emissions to be carried from the refinery, across the homes of resiâ€" dents and out to the lake. Gillespie contributed the suggesâ€" tion that those who work outside the area during the day may notice odors Region could fund extended health study THE CROP , * PLAy here at Pick of the CROP from 10:00 â€" 2: 00 with lots of BRIO MEC 4 BRio trains! e HOURLY DRAWS from:â€" SATURDAY Nov G6â€" ww 930 To 5-30 se 245 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE 844â€"8363 in stock (Cannoft be used with any other discount ) 15 Yo _Discount on all BRIO 18 /o _Off all BRIO product ;Pecial orders ,Slaced on BRIO Puay pay! Dove from BRIO will be ~ 1: 00 â€" 3:00 ~ OAY e ® more when they return in the evening. He assured one man in the audience that Petroâ€"Canada does not step up its production at night. Variations in wind patterns were one of the reasons Mulvale gave for not relying on comparison studies of residents living near other refineries, as one person suggested. Because "We‘d be crazy to create more odor at night when more people are at home to be bothered by it," he said. there are so many variables such as closeness to the lake, it is difficult "to replicate patterns in various areas," she said. Sider followed this up by noting that a study of a pulp and paper plant in Espanola, for instance, would not present the same factors as the refinâ€" ery plant in Oakville. A final dart for Gillespie came in the form of a demand by one man that Petroâ€"Canada leave Oakville. However, Gillespie replied that the industry has no intention of closing down â€"nor does it intend to expand â€" and considers itself part of the community. At the same time, he reiterated that Petroâ€"Canada has resolved to bring the odors down as much as it can with ongoing improvements to its systems. But, given the nature of the industry, odors could never be completely obliterated, he said. Measures so far instituted by the company seem to have worked to some extent. Gillespie noted the Hotline complaints had been reduced to 11 in August compared to 114 last year. However, April‘s complaints were up â€" 41 to last year‘s 15. During September, the refinery began a major planned maintenance shutdown which resulted in 74 comâ€" plaints, compared to the 83 comâ€" plaints last year.

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