The Hamburgers Downwind
of Dow
by Scott
Rollans
Not so long ago, if you wanted to test
the air quality near a chemical plant, all you had to do was
stick out your nose and take a deep whiff. Over the years, however,
emissions limits have tightened, technology has improved, and
foul odours have in many cases disappeared.
Despite that, most people prefer to do
their breathing at a safe distance. Dow Chemical's massive new
Hydrocarbons Project in Fort Saskatchewan, for example, would
be nobody's first choice for a next door neighbour. Recognizing
this, Dow has found an intriguing new way to plead its case with
the community. If you're worried about emissions, you can drive
right up to an air monitoring trailer and check the current readings.
Dow's license requires them to operate
the trailer, says Rod Boshnick, Operations Leader of Environmental
Services at the project. The location, directly downwind from
the plant, was chosen as best site for gathering technical data.
Once the trailer was up and running, Dow came up with the idea
of putting it on display (at this point, the trailer is the only
one of its kind in Canada). Boshnick hopes that people will look
at the information, and go away convinced that Dow is doing a
good job at keeping the air clean. "To say that there's
been no effect would be wrong," he admits. Still, he adds,
"We'd like you to see what you're getting. We're not making
a significant change."
Driving out to the trailer, you should
bring specific directions (see below). After you pass Dow's property
east of Fort Saskatchewan, no highway sign beckons you to turn
north on Range Road 220. A kilometre later you might notice a
green shed set back approximately 100m from the road, but it
bears no identifying marks. Only when you spot a cluster of interpretive
panels do you know you're in the right place. "It's a well-kept
secret, but not intentionally," says Boshnick. "It
would be great if your article pointed more people towards it."
The site offers a panoramic view of the
Hydrocarbons Project. A detailed diagram describes each building,
and the role it plays in making ethylene (the plant's main product).
Other panels candidly list the hazardous gases released by the
process (including nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide), and
the threats excessive levels can pose to the environment (greenhouse
effect, ground-level ozone formation, acid rain, premature crop
ripening, etc.).
At the trailer itself, you must crouch
and squint a bit to read the computer, displayed through a small
window. It shows the current level for each compound being monitored,
as well as average readings for the past hour. The day I visited,
for instance, NO2 was listed at 3 parts per billion, well below
the allowable limit of 20.
The final interpretive panel attempts to
put the figures in context. One part per billion, we're told,
equates with "one 10cm hamburger in a chain of hamburgers
circling the Earth two and a half times at the equator."
"Fine", I thought, "but how many 'hamburgers'
did I inhale while reading that?"
Even so, as I strolled back to the car
I noticed the scent of clover and wild poppies. I took a deep
whiff, and had to admit that the display had made a convincing
case.
To find the Dow Air Monitoring Trailer:
Follow Highway 15 as it travels through
Fort Saskatchewan. At the city's eastern outskirts, 3.5 km east
of the Dow main gate, turn north on Range Road 220. Approximately
1 km later, watch for the green trailer on your left.
On the same trip, you might want to take
a look at Dow's Wildlife Greenbelt, constructed in response to
the Hydrocarbon Project's environmental impact assessment. Providing
a habitat for mammals and migratory birds, it includes an interpretive
walk and a wildlife viewing platform. Turn north from Highway
15 onto 119 St. in Fort Saskatchewan, and follow it for 6.5 km
as it becomes River Road. After you pass the Dow plant, watch
for a sign to your right.
Return to Scott's
Environment Views articles
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