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. We can still make minor refinements to the location of the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station.
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 considered 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 same 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. AEP will approve the final design.
The meteorological tower height for the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station is dependent on the requirements in the Alberta Air Monitoring Directive standard set by AEP. The Directive requires the tower to be at least 2 m (6.6') above any obstructions within 100 m (328.1'), which includes trees or buildings. Based on our initial survey within 100 m (328.1') of the planned site, the tree canopy is taller than 10 m (32.8'), which suggests a 25 m (82') to 30 m (98.4') tower is required to comply with the Directive. 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.
We'll provide the community with an update about the height of the meteorological tower and impacts to vegetation prior to submitting our final design to AEP for approval.
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. We'll provide the community with an update about the height of the meteorological tower and impacts to vegetation prior to submitting our final design to AEP for approval.
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 (NOx)
- 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: AEP requires that installation be completed by Dec 31 2021. We plan to initiate construction in 2021.
-
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.