12 — Sunday, September 28, 1997 — North Shore News Sa] Chicrine Sparse crowd raises plant Safety issues By Frobert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews.comt A North Vancouver District-sponsored pub- lic information meeting last Wednesday evening drew 50 concerned citi- zens to hear expert opinion on the effects of chlorine production in their community. But some eft the meeting less chan satisfied with what they heard. “A lot of people wanted to hear a closing date,” said Coun. Trevor Carolan, who attended the evening session. “But they didn’t get one.” What they: got was the reit- eration of an independent review contracted to Arthur D. Little of Canada Ltd. The study took more than a year to complete and was first pre- sented Aug. 12. At issue is the viable public safety of lands located to the north of the Canadian National - Railway (CNR) right-of-way and owned by Canadian Occidental Petroleum Limited (CanadianOxy). _ The land is unused and lies both inside and outside of a plant operated by CanadianOxy at 100 Amiterst Ave. that produces mainly chlo- rine as well as caustic soda and NEWS photo Mixe Wakefleld CXY Chemicals loader Kym Kostiuk fs one of 170 employees at the North Vancouver company’s plant. A recent pub- fie meeting gave the area's rasidents a chance to ask questions of both company executives and local politicians. muriatic acid. Under an agreement nego- tiated with the district, a pro- posed realignment of the Dollarton Highway would place it on CanadianOxy land and allow the district to make better use of its adjacent land holdings for a long-proposed business park. If preposed zoning changes were to be — approved CanadianOxy would be able to sell or develop its lands for light Valor Warming Homes Since 1890 ua Optional cast iron front SHOWROOM: industrial and commercial use. At a June 11, 1996, public hearing, Bovar Environmental presented the original assess- ment of chlorine safety risk to the public on behalf of CXY. On ‘fuesday night, council was told Bovar had updated that risk assessment based on input from Arthur Litte’s inde- pendent review but that it had reached the same conclusions: ® manufacturing and open- space development would be acceptable in the north outside plant boundaries; @ commercial and low-density residential development could roceed beyond the rail line rth of the plant; @ unrestricted land use would ¢ acceptable beyond approxi- mately 600 to 700 metres north of the rail line. Bovar’s. risk assessment nates three recent improve- ments to plant safery: @ reducing plant inventory of 1293 MARINE DRIVE, N. VAN. liquefied chlorine gas to one 300-tonne storage tank from three tanks storing a total of 1,500 tonnes; @ discontinuing the use of a oarge with three, 300-tonne fixed tanks for shipping chlo- rine; @ moving a propane storage tank to a more remote location on the site. Little’s independent review of Bovar’s updated risk assess- ment was presented by Lisa Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm Bendixen summed up hq review of Bovar’s conclusiong by saying that some of the ha ard frequencies may have beeg underestimated while coi quences may have been overcaiiia timated. “Taking them togeth bringing it into a risk ment, that risk estimate: judged to be a reasonable reg resentation of the risk i: ed with the chlorine operatio sso at the Maplewood chlong plant,” concluded’ Bendixe: However, Bendixen’s writtQll report also notes that the a to the west of the CX Chemicals plant is at a high®iam risk level than might be desire gi “This is a very critical i and has to be handled correail ly,” said Carolan. : Wednesday’s meeting: fe tured representatives of Ch Chemicals and various emqd gency services employees addition to the district’s st members. “Here is a plant that pram duces toxic materials,” add@iaue Carolan. “How do we:. li with a dragon. in the borhood? You live cautious! aaa “Complicating the i plant’s opening A public. hearing, possible rezoning of the: lar adjacent to the plait has yet § 2S3CSEES be set. In addition to Carola councillors Lisa? Muri 987-1 a