At the beginning of this campaign not much was known about the actual health and environment impacts of emissions in the neighbourhood. With help from Atlantic Packaging and the Ministry of Environment, the community now knows a lot more about the sources of odour, noise and other emissions of concern.

Results from the Air Quality Monitoring Survey

At Atlantic Packaging's Open House in October the community expressed air quality and health concerns. Elected officials and the Ministry of Environment were asked to ensure that air quality testing take place as soon as possible. In November 2010, the Ministry of Environment undertook a 5-day mobile air quality monitoring survey in the vicinity of Atlantic Packaging's two facilities on Progress Ave. They measured for Total Reduced Sulphur, Hydrogen Sulphide, and Volatile Organic Compounds. They determined that there were no evident health impacts but that a second survey is needed in the spring/summer to account for changes in temperature.

The results of the report were shared with the public in late December and you can read the summary here and the technical details here. Jason Mitchell from the Ministry of Environment has confirmed that a second survey will take place this spring/summer.

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What does Atlantic Packaging release into the air at 111 Progress Ave.?

The main sources of air emissions are evaporative emissions from the use of glues, adhesives and solvents, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ethyl benzene, toluene, and isopropanol, and combustion gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.  VOCs have known and suspected health impacts and combustion gases are known to be criteria air contaminants that impact air quality, contributing to smog and acid rain.

In 2006, Atlantic Packaging received permission from the Ministry of Environment to start burning left over paper sludge in a TORBED incinerator at their 111 Progress Avenue facility.  Click here to review their 2008 Written Summary including the chemical pollutants released into the air. 

The preliminary 2009 data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory indicates that this incinerator releases hexachlorobenzene, a persistent substance with known impacts to health and the environment.  Atlantic Packaging is the largest emitter of this chemical in Ontario.

Click on the chemical names (below) to find out more about the health and environment impacts of these air emissions.

At 111 Progress Avenue, the following Criteria Air Contaminants are released in large quantities:

• Carbon Monoxide (39 tonnes in 2008)
• Nitrogen Oxides (46 tonnes in 2008)
• Particulate Matter (1.76 tonnes in 2008)

This information is reported to the federal government annually and is publicly available here on the National Pollutant Release Inventory.

In smaller quantities, other chemicals are released including:

• Acetone
• Ammonia
• Chromium
• Ethyl Benzene
• Hydrogen Sulphide
• Hexachlorobenzene
• Isopropanol
• Nickel
• Propylene Glycol
• Rubber Solvent (Naphtha)
• Sulphur Dioxide
• Toluene
• Vinyl Acetate
• Xylene

This information is not publicly available because the quantities Atlantic Packaging emits are below the federal reporting threshold. TEA investigated these emissions through a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Environment, which gave us access to all of Atlantic's chemical emission data for 111 Progress Avenue from 2004 to present.