Coal dust sampling commissioned by Delta has found dustfall in Tsawwassen is within allowable limits, but exceeds provincial guidelines adjacent to railway tracks.
Delta council discussed Monday the findings of the monitoring program conducted this summer in response to concerns by residents about coal dust emanating from Westshore Terminals' operations at Roberts Bank.
Staff with Acuren Group Inc. placed collection canisters at four locations throughout Tsawwassen as well as one near the Boundary Bay Airport. The Tsawwassen sample sites ranged from 4.5 kilometres to 5.5 kilometres from the coal terminal.
The study found the presence of coal particles in all five samples, however, according to the findings, all four monitoring locations in Tsawwassen had "relatively very low overall" coal dust particle readings.
Council was told the Tsawwassen monitoring locations were well below the B.C. Air Quality guidelines for average dustfall in a residential area for a one-month period.
However, that wasn't the case for the airport sample, which was taken just 15 metres away from railway tracks and well exceeded the guidelines. That sample had approximately 30 times more particulate matter than the Tsawwassen samples with a much higher concentration of coal, a report to council stated.
Earlier this year, it was announced Westshore Terminals was planning to spend millions to upgrade its coal dust suppression capabilities. Vice-president and general manager Denis Horgan told Delta council the coal port is planning to spend $7 million on new equipment.
The recent sampling and analysis, though, shows that coal dust drifting off trains remains a concern.
The report to council notes Westshore Terminals has installed a video camera at the rail crossing at 80th Street and advised that some trains were observed emitting visible coal dust during the sampling period. Through the new monitoring program, Westshore Terminals is directly following up with the coalmines and railways when dusting trains are observed.
"Staff are not aware of any historical dustfall monitoring along the railway in Delta to compare the current result to and it should be emphasized that this is only one sample
which does not provide sufficient information to support any specific conclusions. Further analysis and monitoring is required to determine if this result is an anomaly directly related to insufficient dust suppression from a few trains or the accumulation of dust from the overall coal train traffic," the report states.
Council agreed with an idea put forward by CAO George Harvie to ask Westshore to require a non-toxic whitening agent, made of vegetable dye, to be sprayed on top of coal when loaded at the source. Noting it's a dust suppression method he saw in use during his visit to Norway this summer, Harvie said any train cars without the white surface would clearly indicate the coal wasn't treated and dust is flying off.
Council also agreed to get formal comments from the Fraser Health Authority on the subject of potential health impacts from coal dust in the community, pointing to the contentious proposal by Surrey Fraser Docks to handle millions of tonnes of American thermal coal.
Dr. Paul Van Buynder, the chief medical health officer for Fraser Health, earlier this year called for a comprehensive health impact assessment of that plan, which would see coal transported by rail through several residential areas, including North Delta. Port Metro Vancouver last month ordered Fraser Surrey Docks to do more environmental impact assessment work on the project.
