I am writing in response to the article in The Morning Star by Jennifer Smith entitled “Residents gain a second say on plant,” relating to the proposed pellet plant in Lavington.
I have spoken with many Lavington residents who do not feel the article was representative of the views of much of the community. The article indicated that the train traffic and noise is a primary concern for residents. That is simply not the case for the residents I’ve spoken with.
The primary and overwhelming concern relating to the plant proposed to be built by Pinnacle Renewable Energy, about 150 metres from Lavington Elementary School and the community park, is the projected level of particulate matter emissions at the school. The air quality dispersion modelling study conducted by the engineering firm RWDI and commissioned by Pinnacle states the projected annual PM 2.5 concentration at Lavington Elementary of 8.1 ug/m3 exceeds the ministry’s annual PM2.5 target of eight ug/m3.
The ministry’s own fact sheet on wood pellet manufacturing facilities states that, “PM 2.5 is known to cause aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, reduced lung function, increased respiratory symptoms and premature death.”
An article published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on PM 2.5 states the following: “Particulate matter is the term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in size. 2.5 micrometers is approximately 1/30 the size of a human hair; so small that several thousand of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. The sources of PM 2.5 include fuel combustion from automobiles, power plants, wood burning, industrial processes, and diesel powered vehicles such as buses and trucks. Fine particles are of concern because they are risk to both human health and the environment. Because these particles are so small they are able to penetrate to the deepest parts of the lungs. Scientific studies have suggested links between fine particulate matter and numerous health problems including asthma, bronchitis, acute and chronic respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath and painful breathing, and premature deaths. Children are more susceptible to the health risks of PM 2.5 because their immune and respiratory systems are still developing. The average adult breathes 13,000 liters of air per day and children breathe up to 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults. The breathing of fine particles by children is believed to cause both acute and chronic respiratory problems such as asthma.”
I strongly believe that the majority of our residents support new business and industry in our area.
However, a relatively small number of jobs (15 to 20 full-time jobs) cannot come at the risk of the many children in our community who attend Lavington Elementary.
It is the health of our children that is our paramount concern.
Kym Lorentz
Lavington
