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December 1, 1998 - Richard Turle, AAQD:
Equivalence of Analytical Methods under the Bezene in Gasoline Regulations
- Refiners are allowed to use alternative analytical methods to the Reference Methods
cited under the regulation, providing they conduct a statistical comparison using an ASTM
standard analytical method and submit a copy of the method and supporting data to
Environment Canada. Richard Turle, of the Analysis and Air Quality Division has recently
conducted reviews of several refiners application to use alternative methods for sampling,
vapour pressure and for sulfur levels. The results of these reviews have been forwarded to
the Oil Gas and Energy Branch of APPD.
[Richard Turle @ 990-8559]
December 1, 1998 - Dr. Merv Fingas, ESD:
ETC gives course on hazardous Materials Response
- A course leading to OSHA certification for entry to hazardous materials sites was given
at the ETC by Dr. Merv Fingas with the assistance of Nanci Laroche and Ben Fieldhouse.
Among the attendees were EP staff from Edmonton and Montreal, and one from a private
shipping company in Halifax. The course, which lasts 2 1/2 days, follows a prescribed
curriculum to meet OSHA specifications. This is needed when responding to spills in joint
US-Canada situations or when working on experimental sites in the US.
[Dr. Merv Fingas @ 990-7297]
December 1, 1998 - Dr. Merv Fingas, ESD:
ETC Aircraft Completes DND Studies
- The Convair 580 aircraft returned to Ottawa from Halifax, on November 28, after
completing a series of specialized tests under full cost-recovery for the Defense Research
Establishment, Department of National Defence (DND). The work was extended to cover more
flights than originally anticipated. The exact details of the flight objectives are
classified. However, the overall purposes of the flights were to calibrate the new
military 'Spotlight radar' (a search radar with small-area mapping capability), and to
assess several technologies on the unique Convair radars for military target detection.
[Dr. Merv Fingas @ 990-7297]
December 15, 1998 - Richard Turle, AAQD:
Visit by representatives from the Montreal Urban Community
- Representatives of the Montreal Urban Community (MUC), an operating agency of the
federal-provincial NAPS Network, visited ETC on Dec. 9th to discuss ongoing support for
the NAPS program in the MUC and to discuss a study of residential wood combustion impacts
on PM2.5 and PAH levels in Rivi�re-des-Prairies (near Montreal). ETC-AAQD is providing
analytical support for PAH and for metals in fine-particulate samples for this study
initiated by AES, Quebec Region and MUC. Some funding for this study, which has attracted
media attention in Montreal, is being provided by the Direction de la Sant� publique de
Montr�al. Sampling began in early December and will run until the end of March 1999.
- The representatives from MUC and Richard Turle, Chief of AAQD, visited one of the local
NAPS air monitoring stations in Ottawa to view the monitoring equipment installations and
the newly incorporated safety features at the station. Special funding would be required
for incorporating the improved safety features at all the stations of the NAPS network.
[Richard Turle @ 990-8559]
December 15, 1998 - Richard Turle, AAQD:
Dioxin Analysis Results from Vietnam Reported
- In November 1998, Chung Chiu and Richard Turle of AAQD, ETC in conjunction with Hatfield
Consultants, visited two dioxin laboratories in Vietnam as part of an IEMI and CIDA-funded
project. Some samples from Vietnam were also analysed by the AAQD laboratory. The results
of the entire project are now available on CD-ROM from www.hatfield.group.com. The CD-ROM
entitled "Preliminary Assessment of Environmental Impacts related to Spraying of
Agent Orange Herbicide During the Vietnam War" was prepared by Hatfield Consultants
of West Vancouver, BC.
[Richard Turle @ 990-8559]
December 15, 1998 - Richard Turle, AAQD:
Lab Accreditation in Chile
- A recently established environmental reference laboratory in Santiago, Chile was
visited by Richard Turle along with representatives of the Centre d'expertise en analyse
environnementale of Ste-Foy, Qu�bec. The aim of the visit was to conduct an assessment of
the Centro Nacional del Medio Ambiente laboratories in a pre-acceditation visit and to
provide guidance on how they could obtain accreditation to ISO Guide 25. It is anticipated
that this laboratory may be able to develop, with expertise from Canada, a Chilean program
for proficiency testing for environmental laboratories in the near future.
[Richard Turle @ 990-8559]
December 15, 1998 - Dr. Jocelyn Par�, MAPD:
Training Session for Latest MAP Licensee in Japan
Dr. J. R. J. Par�, Chief of the MAP Division at ETC, just returned from providing a
one-week training session to Shimadzu's staff in Kyoto, Japan. The company is the latest
Licensee of one of the MAP technologies, namely gas-phase extraction. Throughout the week,
discussions were also held in terms of marketing and priority setting. Dr. Par� expressed
EC's interest in having fast turnaround time for the commercial availability of laboratory
equipment for this solvent-less technology. Environmental applications such as analysis of
volatile organic compounds (VOC) in water and soil will be given first priority – a
topic where a joint project with us has already endorsed in principle by two Offices
within the US Environmental Protection Agency.
[Dr. Jocelyn Par� @ 990-9122]
December 15, 1998 - Dr. Merv Fingas, ESD:
ETC Hosts Core-Capacity Workshop on Spill Prevention
- ETC hosted a "Core-Capacity" workshop on spill prevention on December 7 and 8.
Organized by the Environmental Emergencies Branch (EEB) to review the baseline (or 'Core')
spill prevention capacity necessary across the country, it was third in a series of
workshops to achieve consensus on core capacity in the Environmental Emergencies program.
The first two were on the topics of spill preparedness and response. This workshop on
prevention included attendance of approximately 15 representatives from EEB, ETC and the
five regions. Conclusions from this workshop will be used to focus discussion on
prevention at a national workshop covering all topics scheduled for January 18-20. ETC
representatives included Drs. Dave Thornton, Merv Fingas, and Carl Brown, and Pat Lambert.
[Dr. Merv Fingas @ 990-7297]
December 15, 1998 - Brian Mansfield, EETO :
Advisory Group on Emergencies Engineering R&D
- In addition to recent meetings of the five Emergencies Science Division (ESD) R&D
advisory groups as reported last week, the Emergencies Spill Countermeasures Engineering
Sub-Committee ("ESC2" or "ESCsquared") also met at the Environmental
Technology Centre (ETC) during the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
- Each year, this Group provides to ETC's Emergencies Engineering Technologies Office
(EETO) and its Alternative Service Delivery contractor (SAIC Canada), an initial
peer-review of the results of EETO's current emergencies engineering research projects, as
well as some potential client or research partner influence and input to EETO's future
R&D priorities and projects to be conducted in this R&D field on behalf of
Environment Canada. This annual meeting, like some of the ESD committees, has been a
yearly consultation feature of ETC's R&D work planning process since the late 1970's.
Annual ESC2 meeting participation or input typically includes emergencies program staff
from EC regions, ESD and HQ's Environmental Emergencies Branch (as well as the corporate
group responsible for addressing EC's contaminated sites), and representatives from other
federal departments and agencies (e.g. Canadian Coast Guard, DND, INAC, National Capital
Commission and the National Research Council), from potential international funding or
research partners (such as the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Minerals Management Service) and
from industrial spill R&D/response groups (e.g. Imperial Oil Resources, Western
Canadian Spill Services Ltd. and the Canadian Marine Response Management Corporation). We
are also currently initiating more extensive consultation and future annual meeting
involvement of Environment Canada's regional and HQ/ETAD contaminated sites officers.
[Brian Mansfield @ 991-1843]
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December
