What the smell? Burnaby refinery shutdown after odour spreads across Metro Vancouver
The source of a strong chemical odour in Metro Vancouver has been identified, and there might be some reprieve on Monday as a result.
An industrial incident at a refinery in Burnaby was the cause, and an investigation is underway into exactly what occurred to send the smell cascading throughout the region and stinking up many neighbourhoods.
Sunday night, a controlled shutdown of Parkland Refining in Burnaby began, according to the website, stating that there was a possibility of more noise and increased flaring as a result. It appears that the smell has slightly disappeared since then, as few have taken to social media to complain Monday morning.
It comes after many people in Metro Vancouver spent a better part of the weekend indoors to avoid the putrid smell that was emitting from the refinery.
An air quality advisory issued by Metro Vancouver has remained in place since Sunday, and Metro Vancouver says it has received more than 100 complaints from people in Vancouver and Burnaby over the odour.
“Parkland Refining holds a valid air quality permit with Metro Vancouver, and officers are assessing compliance with that permit, which will be an ongoing process,” Metro Vancouver posted on its website.
The advisory was also shared by Environment and Climate Change Canada as an air quality statement.
“If you have chronic underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, and/or diabetes or are sensitive to fine particulate air pollution, you may wish to reduce your outdoor physical activity until this bulletin is lifted. If you are experiencing symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or wheezing, limit physical activity and seek prompt medical attention. Call 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency,” the advisory reads in part.
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The City of Burnaby also posted an update for its residents.
“Burnaby Fire crews established an operational perimeter between the facility and the adjacent neighbourhood. Using standard operational pre-plans, Burnaby Fire assessed and confirmed no immediate concerns related to the safety of citizens,” it said.
Daily Hive has reached out to the refinery for comment and will update this piece when that information becomes available.
This is a developing story.