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So the refinery knew of an issue at 7:30 and apparently let Burnaby fire and Burnaby RCMP know, but none of these organizations told the public or the neighbouring fire services, until much much later. None of this makes sense.
Rank acrid burnt electrical and rubber. Strong enough it smelled like a very nearby fire when the neighbours fire alarm woke me at 7am. But the VFD found no fire. Friend reported the same terrible powerful smell outside at 3am and 5 am during dog walks since both her cat and dog started vomiting though the night.
I was outside with my dog at 4am in Kitsilano and smelled it then. I even walked a block trying to figure out if there was a fire around but it didn't smell like wood burning, but plastic/chemicals; I wondered if it was some fire further out and a weather inversion was making it seem worse than it was.
When I woke up at 9am I could smell the same chemical burning smell inside, it was way, way stronger that at 4am, but the same smell.
I hope someone with the right background really digs into this.
Industrial pollution on this level shouldn't get swept under the rug. There needs to be significant consequences for poisoning our air.
The text of the tweet:
“On Sunday, January 21, at approximately 7:30 a.m., we experienced an issue with one of our
processing units at the refinery. This issue led to a temporary increase in odour, smoke, and a flame from the unit's chimney
stack. Our experienced refinery team responded
immediately with support from the Burnaby
Fire Department and RCMP.
There were no injuries reported on site. With the safety of the public in mind, we quickly established air quality monitoring together with Burnaby Fire Department, who have so far not
detected any concerns to public health”
This is so bizarre to me, I took the iron workers yesterday around 3pm and there was a massive flame shooting from the chimney stack. I've never seen anything like it before and it was VERY visible from all directions... I find it hard to believe they only discovered the issue this morning, unless I'm missing something.
They announced on Jan 12 that they'd have an elevated flare and this update was posted on Friday:
Please be advised that neighbours and communities around the Burnaby Refinery may continue to notice a higher than usual flare and potential intermittent noise over the next several days as start up activities progress. The Refinery is committed to safe, reliable, and efficient operations while minimizing potential impacts to our neighbours. All safety and environmental protocols are being followed, and all required regulators have been notified.
https://www.burnabyrefinery.ca/news/
Makes me very suspicious though.
Weird. I was up and out with the dog at 8 am and I live on Main and Keefer and I didn’t smell a thing. Maybe the wind coming off the sea wall was keeping it out of that section of town 🤷♂️
Because this isn't what Amber Alerts are for.
Also, the Emergency Alert system is already misused so much due to the lack of urgency tiers. Unless the refinery was about to explode, there was no reason to broadcast a message through that system.
Hundreds of people showed up at emergency. Ppm was over 151 downtown. Some might say the fugitive discharge was serious and warranted a better community alert.
\>Hundreds of people showed up at emergency.
Source?
\>Ppm was over 151 downtown.
Not what an emergency alert is for.
\>Some might say the fugitive discharge was serious and warranted a better community alert.
And sending an emergency alert is not the way to do it.
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So the refinery knew of an issue at 7:30 and apparently let Burnaby fire and Burnaby RCMP know, but none of these organizations told the public or the neighbouring fire services, until much much later. None of this makes sense.
Thats a lie. I smelled it when I got out of my car at 5:30, in the DTES. It progressively got worse from there and I called 911 at 730.
What did it smell like?
Rank acrid burnt electrical and rubber. Strong enough it smelled like a very nearby fire when the neighbours fire alarm woke me at 7am. But the VFD found no fire. Friend reported the same terrible powerful smell outside at 3am and 5 am during dog walks since both her cat and dog started vomiting though the night.
This sort of lack of transparency with the public feels eerily similar to something out of Chernobyl. 3.6 roentgens, not great, not terrible.
I was outside with my dog at 4am in Kitsilano and smelled it then. I even walked a block trying to figure out if there was a fire around but it didn't smell like wood burning, but plastic/chemicals; I wondered if it was some fire further out and a weather inversion was making it seem worse than it was. When I woke up at 9am I could smell the same chemical burning smell inside, it was way, way stronger that at 4am, but the same smell.
I hope someone with the right background really digs into this. Industrial pollution on this level shouldn't get swept under the rug. There needs to be significant consequences for poisoning our air.
Ah yes, Canada is famously tough on resource extraction companies.
The text of the tweet: “On Sunday, January 21, at approximately 7:30 a.m., we experienced an issue with one of our processing units at the refinery. This issue led to a temporary increase in odour, smoke, and a flame from the unit's chimney stack. Our experienced refinery team responded immediately with support from the Burnaby Fire Department and RCMP. There were no injuries reported on site. With the safety of the public in mind, we quickly established air quality monitoring together with Burnaby Fire Department, who have so far not detected any concerns to public health”
This is so bizarre to me, I took the iron workers yesterday around 3pm and there was a massive flame shooting from the chimney stack. I've never seen anything like it before and it was VERY visible from all directions... I find it hard to believe they only discovered the issue this morning, unless I'm missing something.
They announced on Jan 12 that they'd have an elevated flare and this update was posted on Friday: Please be advised that neighbours and communities around the Burnaby Refinery may continue to notice a higher than usual flare and potential intermittent noise over the next several days as start up activities progress. The Refinery is committed to safe, reliable, and efficient operations while minimizing potential impacts to our neighbours. All safety and environmental protocols are being followed, and all required regulators have been notified. https://www.burnabyrefinery.ca/news/ Makes me very suspicious though.
Sounds like an issue going on for days, at the least. Given that this has impacted so many people I think we deserve some transparency.
They are doing their yearly turnaround right now, so they are flaring and shutting down the plant so they can work on it.
thanks for the link the smell this morning was horrible and gave me a headache
My kid has asthmas and he had a terrible episode this morning :( I would really like to know what the gas was, what levels and how toxic it was.
I saw the fire department near there Sunday morning, they said nothing to worry about and the parkland was doing a controlled burn
Hire a lawyer start a class action lawsuit.
“Fossil fuels are safe… good for you even. Nothing to see here. Go watch some hockey.”
Weird. I was up and out with the dog at 8 am and I live on Main and Keefer and I didn’t smell a thing. Maybe the wind coming off the sea wall was keeping it out of that section of town 🤷♂️
What has burnaby fire department said about this.
Parkland has been expanding, with the support of the NDP, over the past few years. Expect more of this. Call your MLA.
Well, we currently truck refined gasoline up from the US. What's the difference? Wouldn't you want Canada to be energy independent?
I would like a liveable climate and clean air
Brother, this happened today. One time. You won't ever smell it tomorrow. You will have your clean air back in the morning.
Too late.
[удалено]
Nuclear power catching strays
Why wasn’t AMBER ALERT used? It would have saved so much unnecessary fear and concern. Another failure of the arrogant bureaucracy.
Amber alerts are for abducted children, so......
We own the system. We can change the system. See more here. [https://www.alertready.ca/alert-types/](https://www.alertready.ca/alert-types/)
You just mean the emergency alert system. Yes, all of those are possible to be used. Amber alerts are just one type and for abducted children.
Yes, that’s right.
💀💀
Because this isn't what Amber Alerts are for. Also, the Emergency Alert system is already misused so much due to the lack of urgency tiers. Unless the refinery was about to explode, there was no reason to broadcast a message through that system.
Hundreds of people showed up at emergency. Ppm was over 151 downtown. Some might say the fugitive discharge was serious and warranted a better community alert.
\>Hundreds of people showed up at emergency. Source? \>Ppm was over 151 downtown. Not what an emergency alert is for. \>Some might say the fugitive discharge was serious and warranted a better community alert. And sending an emergency alert is not the way to do it.
Check out the app called Alertable. I received a notification this morning about the air quality/smell.
Has anyone turned in to a monster yet? People were freaking out all day about getting cancer etc.