Air Quality Monitoring Station

​Project updates

December 2021

Construction on the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (AAQMS) is in progress. Pile installation for the meteorology tower has been completed. The station itself is expected to arrive and be installed over the coming months. Those walking past the GBWWTP will notice informational signage about the wastewater treatment process on our fenceline and some additional signage on the fence near this new monitoring station.

We expect the station to be operational by June 2022, and fully reporting information to the Alberta Air Data Warehouse by Fall 2022.

Also, in recognition of Indigenous heritage in Edmonton, EPCOR issued a request for proposals to adorn the small structure or site with Indigenous artwork. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please review the request for proposal.

Feel free to email us at goldbarproject@epcor.com or call us at 780-412-3599.

July 2021

We started construction on the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (AAQMS) this summer.

February 2021

Listening to your feedback

After gathering public input from our virtual open house and discussions with our Community Liaison Committee, EPCOR assessed how this feedback could be incorporated into the design of the project. Most of what we heard from the community related to the AAQMS building, which is shown on the conceptual rendering below and is approximately 3 m x 5 m x 2 m in size. The majority of participants thought EPCOR could incorporate educational information into the façade of the building.

After also discussing the project with several Indigenous communities, EPCOR thought the AAQMS provided an opportunity to share part of the history and culture of the Indigenous Peoples who used these lands and adjacent waters long before Edmonton became incorporated as a city. Our history is interwoven with the development of Edmonton, the histories, and legacies of interaction between settlers and Indigenous peoples, and the siting of our facilities within Edmonton. The banks of the North Saskatchewan River has been a gathering place since time immemorial.

In support of recognizing these important Indigenous ties to this area, EPCOR has issued a request for proposals to adorn the site with Indigenous art and landscaping that will enhance the site and inform those who use the area. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please review the request for proposal. 

​Overview

In alignment with EPCOR's long-term plans and commitment to continued investment in odour mitigation and reduction, we are installing an ambient air quality monitoring station near the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant. During previous public engagement activities, community members told us that they supported additional air monitoring, and that the air monitor should be located in between the edge of the plant and nearest residences. Our operating approval from Alberta Environment and Parks also requires that an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station be installed between the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant fenceline and the Gold Bar community.  

The Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station will allow us to:

• Continuously monitor emissions from site.
• Use the data measured to make future changes at site to further reduce odours.​
  

Conceptual renderings of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station

These renderings are conceptual in nature and could change as the project continues to evolve throughout design and engineering. Two different designs options are shown.

A bird eye's view of the conceptual Air Quality Monitoring Station, showing approximate size and location.

​Three-dimensional rendering

Conceptual image showing what the AAQMS could look like and the approximate location of the facility

Site plan

We provided information and gathered feedback from the Community about the Odour Monitoring Station in 2019 through workshops, newsletters and our open house.  We've also shared different options for the location of the AAQMS and gathered additional input from the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) in 2019-2021. Find out more about these initiatives.

Air quality monitoring stations in the Edmonton area

Project design

The Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station is composed of two main structures. The ambient air quality monitoring trailer houses the analyzers, air sampling equipment, and equipment for data handling and calibrations. The meteorological tower, an antenna-like structure, will be located next to the trailer and will have meteorological instrumentation located at the top of the tower and approximately 2 meters from the ground surface. The meteorological instrumentation will provide data that will help identify the source of any odours. The siting, construction, operation, and data handling of the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station must comply with the Alberta Air Monitoring Directive. The general design requirements that comply with the Alberta Air Monitoring Directive for each structure are outlined below.

 Location

The station will be located just north of the roadway to the west of the existing City of Edmonton maintenance yard.

EPCOR's Approval to Operate from AEP indicates that the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station must be installed between the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant and surrounding community. The proposed location was also the preferred site based on community feedback and the assessments of a third party consultant specializing in odour dispersion modeling.

 Size

The footprint for the station including fence is currently proposed to be approximately 7 m (23') by 10 m (32.8'), which, for comparison, is about the size of a fifth wheel trailer.

 Height

The station is approximately 3 m (9.8') tall with a meteorological tower and will be between 10 m (32.8') and 25 m (82'). The tower itself is approximately 0.5 m (1.6') wide.

The meteorological tower height for the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station depends on the requirements in the Alberta Air Monitoring Directive standard set by AEP. The acceptable height of the meteorological tower, without the removal or trimming of the trees within 100 m (328.1') of the tower, is being verified by AEP.  

 Impact to surrounding trees

The station is being designed to minimize any impacts on surrounding trees. AEP will approve the final design, which may require some trees be removed or pruned to maximize the effectiveness of the station's operations.

If AEP directs us to remove any trees (as a result of the tower height approved by the regulator), we would replace them with plantings nearby in alignment with our Vegetation Plan. 

 Meteorological equipment

Whether the meteorological equipment is separate from the station will depend on the height of the tower. A 10 m tower can be secured to the air monitoring trailer. A taller tower will potentially require a separate base and guy wires for the additional support.

 What the station is measuring

• Several air quality particles will be measured so that the station complies with EPCOR's operating approval:
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO_x)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)
• Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S)
• Wind Speed
• Wind Direction
• Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Barometric Pressure

The data collected from the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station will be submitted to AEP to comply with the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant operating approvals. This data (which represents the hourly average) becomes publicly available from the AEP Air Data Warehouse every month. We're in discussions with the Strathcona Industrial Association (SIA) to eventually incorporate the station into their monitoring network, which would allow the data to be publically available in real time.

Project details

• Schedule: EPCOR started construction on the AAQMS in summer 2021. The station is expected to be operational by June 2022, and fully reporting information to the Alberta Air Data Warehouse by Fall 2022.
• Hours of construction: We anticipate the hours of construction to be Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will comply with City permits and bylaws. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.
• Length of construction: Construction will include pouring a cement pad; installing the station that will be built off-site, building a fence, and landscaping. Depending on weather, construction should take two to three months.
• What you may see during construction: Company vehicles, crews, equipment, a tandem truck, hydrovac trucks, excavators and flatbed trucks would be used during construction. We don't anticipate any long-term traffic impacts to the roads located near the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Trail closures: Although contractors would be working in proximity to the multi-use trail located south of the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, no trail closures will be required.
• Road closures: No road closures are anticipated as a result of this work.
• Noise: Installing the station will create typical noise associated with construction. We will comply with the City of Edmonton's Community Standards Bylaw for Noise Control. During operations, you should not hear noise from the station unless you are right at the fenceline, where you might hear fans or other instrumentation. 
• Workspace: We'll be locating laydown sites on grassed areas adjacent to the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station. All construction activities will be in accordance with City of Edmonton's bylaws, occupational health and safety requirements, as well as EPCOR's health, safety and environment procedures and guidelines. No impacts to park users are anticipated.
• Reclamation: Once construction is complete, excavations will be backfilled, compacted, and new sod put down on the area directly disturbed by construction.
• Permits: All required approvals will be obtained from the City of Edmonton prior to construction.
• Environmental considerations: We anticipate that minimal shrub removal will be required to accommodate the project. Trees located along the perimeter of the fenceline and in Gold Bar Park will not be impacted. The amount of vegetation removal required for the project has been reduced as much as possible. The project will not impact any watercourses, wetlands or other waterbodies. The shrubs removed will be replaced on site in alignment with our Vegetation Plan.