Tolko’s Lavington operation is dusting off some old regulations to carve out the clear picture of current day operations.
An Environmental Protection Notice has been filed due to a change in conditions and emissions reduction from the Jeffers Drive planer mill which is looking to amend its permit.
“Last year, Tolko received a temporary authorization from the BC MOE (Ministry of Environment) to implement some environmental improvements at the Tolko Lavington sawmill related to the commitments made as part of the Lavington pellet project,” said Michael Towers, Tolko’s manager of energy supply and systems.
The changes outlined in the amendment represent a significant reduction in the total emissions from Tolko, according to the application made in 2015. Total emissions from the plant have gone from 170.4 PM tonnes/year to 141.7 (at the time of the Pinnacle permit application). Since the startup of Pinnacle, Tolko’s emissions have been reduced even further to 47.4.
“The current application seeks to make these changes permanent in addition to encapsulating changes to the facility that have been made since the site permit was last amended in 1999.”
Consultation is underway with local governments and authorities with a deadline of Aug. 21.
“The notification process that we are now conducting allows the public and stakeholders to provide input into the permit amendment approval decision making process by the BC MOE,” said Towers.
The amendments include the elimination of the silo-type woodwaste burner, chip loading tower and sawmill chip cyclones. It also shows an increased number of natural gas fired lumber dry kilns from two to five (with maximum flows increasing from eight m3/min to 129) an added sawdust cyclone and sawmill dust cyclones.
With those changes the total emissions from the plant have been reduced.
MOE has been monitoring fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Lavington since early November. The sources of PM2.5 include wildfires, open-burning, woodheating,vehicles, and industrial sources (the dryers at Pinnacle, bag-houses and cyclones at the pellet plant and Tolko sawmill, and other fugitive dust sources).
“With the commissioning of the new Pinnacle pellet plant and changes at the Tolko sawmill, concerns were raised by Lavington community members regarding current air quality in the area,” reads an initial MOE report. “Of particular concern was air quality at the Lavington Elementary School, due to its proximity to the pellet plant.”
For the period of Nov. 9, 2015 to Jan. 14, 2016 the report shows values never deteriorated to levels requiring an air quality advisory.
“The mean value of PM2.5 during the period was 11.4 µgm-3 at Lavington, and 10.1 µgm-3 in Vernon. The maximum daily averages in Lavington and Vernon during the period were 23.9 and 22.2 µgm-3, respectively. Both communities experienced a period of higher PM2.5 levels and poor dispersion during early January.”
That is the latest report to be released.