Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Impacts on the inhabited area and human activities
♦ Opinion 16 — The Panel is of the opinion that the proponent will take the necessary
steps to limit the impacts of noise in residential areas during construction and
operation of the gas pipeline.
Air quality
In order to protect the environment and the health of populations exposed to air
pollution, two sets of standards were defined by organizations responsible for air
quality control. On one hand, there are emission standards to limit the amount of air
pollutants from a point source and, on the other, air quality standards for ambient air
to control pollution levels in the air that we breathe, a significant determinant of wellbeing
and health.
The nature and quantity of contaminants emitted will vary depending on the project
phase. First, it is a matter of construction of the jetty and the land facilities over a twoyear
period, then of their operation over a minimum of 45 years. Air pollutants related
to the project will be added to those already present in the ambient air to attain a level
likely to have human health impacts (DB85, p. 1). This is why the Panel not only
examined project-related pollution emissions, but also their cumulative effects.
Atmospheric emissions
Airborne pollutants exist in the form of gases and particulate matter (PM). Dust
particles are classified according to size rather than chemical composition. Total PMs
present a varied particle size analysis with diameters ranging between 0.1 and
100 µm. Particles are classified as breathable when their diameter is equal to or
inferior to 10 µm (PM10), but can be sub-divided into fine particulate with a diameter
equal to or less than 10 micrometres and very fine with a diameter equal or less than
2.5 µm (PM2, 5), the latter being able to more easily reach the pulmonary alveoli
(DB85, p. 1).
The main air quality indicators subject to provincial standards and national objectives
by virtue of their impact on health are the PM10 and PM2.5. In Canada, the PM10, and
most especially the PM2.5, are considered “toxic” within the meaning of Section 64 of
the The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999, Ch. 33). The
proponent’s analysis assessed the project’s impact on concentrations of nitric oxide
and nitrogen dioxide (NO and NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO)
and some volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the area affected by the project.
186 Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure