Clean-air activist presses for Irving refinery change as permit comes up for renewal

Mark Leger · CBC News

· Posted: May 11, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Gordon Dalzell has lived for decades adjacent the Irving Oil Refinery successful Saint John, and aerial prime has agelong been apical of caput for him, some arsenic a clean-air activistic and arsenic a nonmigratory who likes to walk the streets of his neighbourhood.

He ever wonders what helium mightiness beryllium breathing in.

Sometimes, helium said, helium tin odor and sensation pollutants successful the air; different times helium feels a shortness of breath.

He said this suggests that possibly the air those days has a higher than accustomed level of ground-level ozone, caused by a premix of volatile integrated compounds and nitrogen oxides from the refinery, mixed with vigor from the sun. 

Dalzell files complaints erstwhile helium thinks thing is amiss.

"The industries instrumentality them precise seriously, and they've often told me, 'Look, nary problem," Dalzell said successful a caller interrogation connected the eastbound broadside of the city, overlooking the refinery. "We're gladsome to get this accusation truthful we tin marque immoderate corrections.'"

Dalzell also participates successful larger opportunities to power aerial prime adjacent the refinery, most precocious the nationalist engagement process for the renewal of the refinery's aerial prime support to operate. 

The existent approval, successful spot for the past 5 years, expires July 15.

Dalzell keeps an oculus connected things done the national government's section aerial prime wellness index, which takes regular readings of crushed level ozone, good particulate substance and nitrogen dioxide in communities crossed the country.

Using a scale of 1 to 10, Dalzell said, it's a gauge of erstwhile it's harmless to spell extracurricular and prosecute in sports and different carnal activities.

"If it's supra six oregon 7 and it inactive looks OK outside, that means that determination is immoderate ground-level ozone retired determination and that tin marque it sometimes a small harder to breathe, particularly erstwhile you exert yourself," Dalzell said.

The nationalist information portion of the refinery renewal process began Jan. 15, erstwhile radical were invited to taxable comments, which were addressed successful an interim study issued successful March on with a draught support to operate.

The play for nationalist remark ends May 16, aft which the New Brunswick Environment Department volition hole a last summary of the issues and responses and springiness it to the situation curate for final approval.

• Request for nationalist input connected refinery contamination levels gets 1 response

He has been a lone advocator erstwhile it comes to this nationalist engagement process but a palmy one. His submission successful 2020 was 200 pages long, handwritten and raised 33 issues. He asked for stricter emissions levels for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. The Environment Department responded by capping them astatine 4,500 tonnes.

"If we're going to beryllium surviving successful the assemblage with this root of aerial pollution, it truly is key if we tin instrumentality a look astatine [potential issues] and past marque immoderate recommendations and accidental to yourself, '[are] these the benignant of limits that are going to beryllium capable to support nationalist health, oregon bash we request to person more, stricter conditions and rules astir their support to run connected the aerial prime side?'" Dalzell said.

In February, successful effect to the interim report, helium made a submission with 18 issues helium wanted addressed.

This time, the section plans to headdress emissions of sulphur dioxide astatine 4,000 tonnes a year, down 500 tonnes, a triumph for the nationalist engagement process, Dalzell said.

"So implicit the past 2 approvals we've seen the nationalist interest astir that pollutant being realized with caller rules, with a simplification of this peculiar aerial pollutant."

While it's important to trim these emissions, helium said the refinery isn't a important root of sulphur dioxide. He's much disquieted astir particulate substance and volatile integrated compounds, which see benzene, "which should ne'er beryllium emitted anywhere."

"It's the different pollutants that it emits, that the [department] has kept the aforesaid level implicit the past respective years … that truly concerns me."

Among the galore changes he'd similar to spot is much transparency by Irving connected aerial prime issues. There is simply a assemblage liaison committee, but its minutes aren't disposable connected Irving Oil's website oregon the government's site.  

Rob Moir, an economics prof astatine the University of New Brunswick, said the authorities should necessitate a much robust nationalist engagement process under the Clean Air Act. 

The latest engagement process was launched in January with a little quality merchandise online and nary links to accusation connected however to engage. There was a tiny people and integer advertisement, with an invitation to taxable comments, but nary nationalist meetings oregon door-to-door outreach successful affected neighbourhoods.

"How galore radical really cognize there's an operational appraisal going connected and that they person the close to taxable questions?" said Moir.

Under the act, the state tin clasp nationalist accusation sessions, but they're not required. A web leafage lists the ways radical tin go engaged and lists a task manager and a refinery worker arsenic resources for radical who person questions.

Irving Oil did not respond to requests for an interrogation for this story. The Environment Department did not marque idiosyncratic disposable for an interview.

The refinery licence is up for renewal astatine a clip erstwhile the metropolis is confronting galore issues related to the narration betwixt neighbourhoods and industry. Lorneville residents are acrophobic astir Saint John's projected enlargement of the concern park. On the westbound side, wherever the Irving Pulp and Paper mill is being upgraded, J.D. Irving Ltd. withdrew a petition for rezoning of a parkland in the look of assemblage opposition.

Residents push back

Dalzell said helium believes the metropolis was fundamentally developed arsenic an concern parkland with neighbourhoods "etched out" successful the areas astir large-scale businesses specified arsenic mills, breweries and the refinery. Whether it's aerial quality, odour, sound oregon conveyance and bid traffic, businesses request to beryllium delicate to the needs of residents, helium said.

"People are starting to say, 'Hold it, we person to propulsion back,' helium said. "We person a close to prime of beingness and enjoyment of spot and we can't beryllium encroached and invaded by concern improvement everywhere."

Dalzell precocious made a nationalist presumption astatine an lawsuit organized by the Saint John Community Coalition, encouraging the gathering of environment-minded residents to taxable comments earlier the May 16 deadline.

"I've ever encouraged others, and I've ever tried to reappraisal these documents and marque recommendations and bring up limitations and marque suggestions that tin trim these emissions," helium said.

"Let's look it, we lone person 1 footwear astatine the tin each 5 years."