Gravel pit dust fears dismissed but residents remain concerned
High dust levels kicked up by a provincial gravel pit in the city’s northwest pose no health risks, say provincial officials.
But those assurances haven’t quelled concerns among some residents who live near the Stoney Trail Aggregate Resource mine, where some particulate were nearly seven times the acceptable Alberta air quality levels last month.
A spokesman for Alberta Transportation, which has contracted the BLV Group to produce sand and gravel from the site for its projects, said those high monitoring readings during the summer and fall were caused by unusually high winds and worsened by wildfire smoke.
Those circumstances meant those measuring instruments operated by a third-party consultant “were not producing a representative measure of dust from the pit,” Bob McManus said in an email.
“Of course we are concerned when any environmental standard is exceeded, but the circumstances here appear to be not only unusual but extremely rare.”
He said dust blown up from outside the pit, located next to several jails and a University of Calgary satellite campus, could also add to the readings, adding “there is no real way to separate the dust.”
On four of five days of monitoring, two different particulate measurements showed levels exceeded Alberta air quality objectives in October, and three out of five days in September. Instruments measuring extremely fine, more dangerous particulates last month showed levels four times higher than provincial standards.
Earlier on Tuesday, McManus said the province was directing the BLV Group to take stronger action to control dust.
The province’s assurances aren’t enough for area residents, said Tessa Sakamoto, president of the Rocky Ridge Royal Oak Community Association.
“The province should stop this before we need to do something about it,” she said.
“I don’t think the wind is an excuse — they should have more water trucks out there to suppress the dust.”
Several area residents posted concerns on a neighbourhood Facebook page about the gravel pit’s impact, with some wondering if consistently high amounts of dust in their homes was being carried from the site by wind.
The BLV Group won’t comment on the issue but its website said it uses water and petroleum products to reduce airborne particulates.
Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland said if the province employs air
We are concerned when any environmental standard is exceeded, but the circumstances here appear to be not only unusual but extremely rare.
quality standards, it should do more to meet them.
“The government representatives should be explaining those standards and if they’re not being met, make sure solutions are pursued,” he said.
He said city officials have to ensure pollution from construction sites doesn’t exceed certain limits.
“I expect they’d be doing the same thing with their industry,” said Sutherland.
Area residents have long complained about gravel truck traffic and noise from the pit, though monitoring showed the pit wasn’t exceeding noise standards.
The pit’s provincial contract, dating back to 2005, runs until 2020.