Air quality impact of the nanticoke industrial development

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of the air quality monitoring activities, especially for three of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's criteria pollutants (SO2, O3, and total suspended particulates). In the early 1960's Nanticoke Hamlet, located on the northern shore of Lake Erie, was selected for a large industrial development program. The first phase saw the commissioning of a 4000 MW Ontario Hydrothermal generating station, a 100 000 bbl day−1 Texaco refinery and a Stelco steel plant with an initial annual capacity of 1.7 × 106 tonnes. Favorable climatological data was one of the criteria used for selecting this site. Extensive monitoring of ambient air and water quality was carried out prior to the construction phase of the program. Post operation monitoring has also been done on a continuous basis. The data collected to date indicate that the impact of the industrial activity on air quality in the Haldimand-Norfolk region has been very small, with less than 20 exceedances per year of the hourly air quality criterion for SO2 (250 ppb) being observed across the network, and total suspended particulates being similar to other rural locations in Ontario. Only 03 has a substantial number of exceedances of the criterion (80 ppb hourly average) during the summer months, primarily due to long-range transport into the area from across Lake Erie.