Teck conducts the following monitoring in the community:
- Measures of lead, arsenic and other particles in the air are taken at two testing locations in the Lower Columbia: Butler Park and Birchbank. Readings are taken over 24-hour periods.
This information is collected and analyzed by Teck’s environment staff and reported to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as well as the Trail Area Health & Environment Committee (THEC). THEC meetings are open to the public, occur five times per year, and include an air quality report with the most current data available.
In addition to the 24-hour samples collected at Butler Park and Birchbank, Teck also conducts the following monitoring:
- Every hour, analyzers measure metals concentrations at Butler Park and Duncan Flats and transmit readings directly to Trail Operations. Trail Operations immediately responds to any abnormal increase. See question 8 for how these data are used.
- Dustfall measurements are collected on a monthly basis at Birchbank, Downtown Trail, Columbia Avenue, Columbia Gardens, Tadanac, Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, Glenmerry, Oasis, Stoney Creek, Waneta and Warfield. These measurements help understand changes in dust settling in the community over time.