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It\u2019s unclear how long this was going on for, though the report noted the problem was clearly visible: \u201cBlack opaque smoke was noted for all tests early in the incineration cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Beers did not respond to EDGE\u2019s request for an interview by the time of publication. However, according to a letter from De Beers\u2019 Environment and Permitting Superintendent, Alexandra Hood, sent to the GNWT and Environment Canada in January, the root cause of the problem was \u201cnot following standardized work practices,\u201d and running the incinerators, which were only installed in 2013, at too low a temperature.<\/p>\n
Since flunking the test, De Beers has retrained staff, rewritten operating procedures and brought in new policy to shut down the incinerators if they\u2019re not meeting the correct temperatures (if it\u2019s safe to do so), according to Hood\u2019s letter. An inspection of the Snap Lake incinerators by a GNWT Lands Officer in March suggests De Beers has ameliorated the problem, at least in part: \u201cNo concerns were noted during this inspection,\u201d it states, and \u201cthe west incinerator which was burning waste at the time of inspection was emitting clear exhaust gas with no black smoke coming from the stack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether or not sufficient steps have been taken, however, won\u2019t be known for years: the next stack test is not scheduled until 2019, according to a source close to the issue wishing to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n
No GNWT regulation<\/p>\n
The fact that, for an undetermined period of time around July 2014, the Snap Lake incinerators were pumping out unacceptable levels of toxic emissions is troublesome in itself. But it points to a much larger problem in the territory; the GNWT does not regulate emissions, require companies to meet the CWS, or mandate stack testing. (The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, likewise, does not regulate air emissions.)<\/p>\n
At several points in her letter, Hood notes the lack of regulation, claiming De Beers \u201cwill conform with any regulatory requirements regarding incinerator stack testing once enabling legislation is developed and approved in the NWT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without legislation in place, there is nothing to force De Beers or other groups using incinerators (i.e. every single mine in the territory), to keep their emissions at a safe level or undertake stack testing on a regular basis. Each mine has an Air Quality and Emissions Management Plan as part of its environmental agreement, but these plans only dictate reporting requirements, not actual emission targets. And while Hood claims \u201cdeficiencies, as measured against the Canada Wide Standards, will be managed through adaptive management and continuous improvement by De Beers,\u201d there\u2019s little government oversight of this \u201ccontinuous improvement\u201d and no fines or other mechanisms to force polluting companies to remedy their ways.<\/p>\n
This problem has been going on for years. According to a Canadian Press report from 2011, the scientific journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management found sediments in a lake near the Ekati Mine that had levels of dioxins and furans 10 times higher than those collected from an uncontaminated lake. The same report cited a 2007 study commissioned by Environment Canada which suggested \u201cextensive, uncontrolled burning of wastes could result in substantial accumulations of dioxins and furans in the local ecosystem, some of which will persist for some 8\u00bd years at levels approaching those considered to be of toxicological concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn most cases we\u2019re below the level that health agencies would (watch) for\u2026\u201d the study continues, \u201cbut we\u2019re getting there. And if you have more incinerators and more burning, you may well exceed those levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
The GNWT\u2019s Department of Environment and Natural resources did not return EDGE\u2019s request for comment on the lack of regulation.<\/p>\n
Why no regulation?<\/p>\n
Back in 2001, the GNWT did sign on to the Canada-Wide Standards of dioxins and furans with all other provinces and territories (except Quebec) as part of a national Accord on Environmental Harmonization.<\/p>\n
The document says: \u201cParties are required to take measures to reduce total releases from anthropogenic sources of dioxins, furans\u2026 with the goal of their continuing minimization and where feasible (technically and socio-economically), ultimate elimination.\u201d However, it adds, \u201ceach jurisdiction will determine the exact means of ensuring compliance\u201d \u2013 basically defanging the document by letting provinces and territories renege on their commitment with no repercussions.<\/p>\n
Other jurisdictions have taken proactive steps, bringing in legislation to regulate emissions in line with the CWS. The GNWT has not. They did bring in guidelines for managing biomedical waste in 2005, but they have been unwilling to regulate incinerators at mine sites. Their reason? The \u201cwaste incinerators operating at remote industrial sites within the NWT\u2026 are located on federal crown land and are not regulated by the Government of the Northwest Territories,\u201d says a report from 2009.<\/p>\n
This may have been true in 2009, but post-devolution it\u2019s no longer the case. Since April of last year, the mines are on land managed by the GNWT, yet there have been no moves from legislators to start regulating toxic emissions from mine or other industrial incinerators. The last time the issue was discussed in the legislative assembly in 2011, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley said a \u201cloophole in environmental rules is allowing a growing number of unregulated waste incinerators to release extremely toxic chemicals into the land and water.\u201d He suggested, \u201cwhen we take on new powers, we must be ready to move with new law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Devolution has come, and incinerators are still operating in an unregulated environment. With all the talk of fracking and opening up new mining projects in the territory, it\u2019s now time, more than ever, for the GNWT to get its act together.<\/p>\n
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from: https:\/\/edgeyk.com\/article\/mine-spews-toxic-fumes-nwt-air-regulations-not-in-place\/<\/p>\n
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Snap Lake Mine, 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, where elevated levels of dioxins and furans were pumped into the air. | Photo Fire Prevention Services Last July, two incinerators at De Beers\u2019 Snap Lake Mine were belching out clouds of black smoke, one sending an average of 65 times the accepted national limit of cancer-causing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[6],"tags":[26],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59143"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3w.haiwo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}