Tougher air quality rules won't apply to Saint John's new Energy East marine terminal

Marine terminals and tank farmsare exempted from proposed new federal regulations to reduce key air pollutants, includingTransCanada's proposedEnergy East pipeline facility at east Saint John's Canaport.

The 4,500-kilometre pipelinewould bring 1.1 million barrels of oil per day to themarine terminal.

Called "Regulations Respecting Reduction in the Release of Volatile Organic Compounds," the new rules target Canada's 18 oil refineries, six upgraders and two petrochemical facilities.

The goal is to cut the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across the country by 102,000 tonnes and greenhouse gases by 43,000 tonnes for the years 2017 to 2035.

Some of the biggest sources of VOC's (volatile organic compounds)in the petroleum sector do include marine terminals and do include tank farms.- Gordon Dalzell, Clean Air Coalition

Saint John activist Gordon Dalzell, of the Clean Air Coalition, said he was "taken aback" on discovering the exclusion.

"Some of the biggest sources of VOCs in the petroleum sector do include marine terminals and do include tank farms," said Dalzell.

"This is very important if you're going to develop a major infrastructure like a marine terminal and a storage tank farm system for Energy East."

Harmful torespiratory system

VOCs help generate ground level ozone, a key contributor to respiratory ailments, as recognized in a background document accompanying the proposed regulations on Environment Canada's website.

"Medical evidence is especially persuasive for the harmful effects of ground-level [ozone] on lung function and its contribution to respiratory symptoms and inflammation," the document said.

"There exists a significant association between short-term exposure to ground-level [ozone] and emergency room and hospital visits related to respiratory system problems (especially asthma-related) and premature mortality."

The proposed regulationis co-sponsored by Environment Canada and Health Canada.

The background document said types of facilities targeted by the proposed legislation are "known to release" petroleum and refinery gases into the environment.

It addedfuture regulations could include facilities such as "storage tanks and certain loading and unloading operations."

The Energy East pipeline and marine terminal are projects of TransCanada Corp.

• Energy East pipeline: What you need to know
• NEB proposes to review upstream, downstream emissions from Energy East

A TransCanadadocument on the proposed tank farm saysthe storage tanks are specifically designed to reduce "the release of oil vapours into the atmosphere."

"Floating roofs are continually in contact with the oil surface, eliminating the majority of the vapour space (space between the roof and the oil), where combustible vapours can accumulate," it said.

The tank farm would be capable of storing 13.2 million barrels of oil.

A spokesperson for the company could not be reached Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada said the department is working on a response to questions from CBC News.