K
I
T
I
M
A
T
Sentinel
Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 61 No. 46
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
$
Machine error behind high SO2 reading If an air quality graph on the provincial government's air quality website was to be believed there was an hours long spike in sulphur dioxide (SO2) on November 6 that went several times over the provincial standard. However a more than 200 parts per billion (ppb) reading was a technical error relating to the machine's automatic calibration which isn't supposed to even be published. People posting on the Kitimat for Clean Air Facebook page shared a screenshot of the readings showing an uncharacteristic rise in SO2. Barry Watson, an air quality meteorologist for the BC Ministry of Environment, explained the error. "It's basically a calibration, it's erroneous data," he said, noting the machines self-checks itself which involves inputing false data. "That information goes through a quality control to calibrate itself...so it artificially puts in numbers to check its calibrations." "They're not supposed to be published," he added. He said the wrong data, which has since been corrected on bcairquality.ca, covered from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. that day. A number for SO2 in the hundreds would be alarming as Watson says the provincial objective is 75 ppb over one hour. A five-day graph at the time of writing showed SO2 readings at Riverlodge's station peaking at approximately 8 ppb late on November 4.
The roots of Kitimat’s former mayor.
/page 5 Gitxsan dance group to perform.
/page 8 PM477761
Shane Gottfriedson, centre, and Sammy Robinson, left, hear about the Kitimat LNG project.
Resources not only path for First Nations sual learner, and welcomed Cameron Orr the chance to see one of The BC Regional Kitimat’s proposed projects Chief of the Assembly of first hand. First Nations welcomed a “It’s always nice to tour of Chevron’s Kitimat come and see what’s hapLNG project on a visit copening in the way of ecoordinated with the Haisla nomic development in the Nation Council. northwestern province,” he Shane Gottfriedson said. was on an information “You can tell me things gathering mission to take 10 different times but you advantage of his time in the show me once it will stick Northwest, being a speaker in my mind.” at the Nation2Nation foHe said he got a good rum which took place in Shane Gottfriedson sense of the project from Terrace November 5. Gottfriedson had already been to his tour, and the relationship that’s dethe blockade site by members of the veloped between project proponents Unis’tot’en clan which have been pro- and First Nations. As to the issues relating to the testing the route of some natural gas pipelines, including the Pacific Trail Unis’tot’en groups, which can directly Pipeline which would supply the gas for impact projects here, he said it’s an issue they have to sort out themselves. the Kitimat LNG project. “My conclusion is that it’s an inGottfriedson self-identifies as a vi-
ternal issue they need to figure out.” he said. “Internally they have to decide what they want to be able to do.” On the bigger picture though he said First Nations are getting much more involved in projects in the province which includes mining and energy projects, but he notes that it’s not the only path for economic development. “Lets not kid ourselves that the resource sector is the only show in town,” he said. He looked no further than to the Haisla for an example of that diversification. He was given a look at the land development taking place downtown at Haisla Town Centre. “It’s very exciting to see our people get involved in economic development and [looking] at what we produce to the local and regional economies is probably about $11 billion a year and it’s getting bigger.”