"Terrible smell" from Burnaby refinery leads to Air Quality Bulletin for Metro Vancouver
Many Metro Vancouver residents woke up Sunday morning to a “terrible” smell of what some have described as similar to “burning rubber or plastic.” This foul smell prompted many to hunt for “the culprit.”
An Air Quality Bulletin has since been issued for Metro Vancouver due to the strong chemical odour being reported in some areas of the region Sunday.
According to Metro Vancouver, more than 100 odour complaints were received from Vancouver and Burnaby.
Woke up in Yaletown to same burning smell…jumped in car and drove to North Van – the air smells clean here. Staying here until source can be confirmed. #Vancouver #whatsburning
— Jayson Young (@jaysondyoung) January 21, 2024
The plastic smell in Vancouver is terrible on a Sunday morning #vancity
— Muratti (@murattargaryen) January 21, 2024
Metro Vancouver environmental regulation and enforcement officers are on site assessing the situation and collecting information. Parkland Refining holds a valid Metro Vancouver air quality permit, and officers are assessing permit compliance, which will be an ongoing process.
— Metro Vancouver (@MetroVancouver) January 21, 2024
It’s since been confirmed that the smell is coming from an incident taking place at Parkland Refining in Burnaby.
Burnaby Fire Department has provided a release explaining fire crews attended the Parkland Refinery around 7:30 am following an industrial incident within the facility fence line.
“Burnaby crews attended to support Parkland fire protection crews and ensure public safety,” the release reads.
“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.”
The department confirmed that it was this incident that resulted in people across the region noticing a strong odour.
A resident who lives in the Burnaby Heights area describes the “burning tires” smell as “terribly strong and acrid.”
“It’s never smelled like that in the Heights before,” they wrote on Reddit.Ā
“A neighbour that lives near the refinery called authorities because they were having difficulty breathing. Authorities told them they should not be going outside nor opening any windows.”
Despite the smell coming from Burnaby, the odour has apparently reached as far out as Kitsilano and Coquitlam.
A Public Safety Advisory was issued for the City of Vancouver due to the strong odour around 11 am Sunday.
In addition to this, Metro Vancouver also issued its Air Quality Bulletin as it is “responsible for issuing air emissions permits within the region, and assessing whether our requirements and bylaws are being met.”
“Environmental regulation and enforcement officers are on site assessing the situation and collecting information,” Metro Vancouver added.
“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.”
People who can smell the odour are advised to close windows, doors, and air intakes.
“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,” Metro Vancouver advised. “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.”