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FACILITY PROFILE

New Brunswick Power Generation Corporation

Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station


Prepared by:
Approvals Branch
Department of Environment
May 2005


TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND

PLANT DESIGN

     Process Description
     Air Pollution Control Equipment
     Operational Procedures
     Continuous and Ambient Monitoring
     Pollution Prevention Initiatives

POTENTIAL AIR QUALITY IMPACTS

     Ambient Air Quality Impacts
     Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
     Nitrogen Oxide Emissions
     Particulate Matter Emissions
     Carbon Dioxide Emissions
     Impact on Acid Deposition

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

     Summary of Requirements of the Approval to Operate
     Compliance with Conditions of Approval
     Enforcement

PUBLIC OUTREACH

CONTACT INFORMATION

REFERENCES


BACKGROUND

The New Brunswick Power Generation Corporation (NB Power) operates the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station located in Newcastle Creek, in the Parish of Canning, Queens County, New Brunswick. The facility, the oldest fossil fuel-fired generating station still operating in New Brunswick, generates up to 60 megawatts of electricity from the combustion of pulverized coal as the primary fuel and No.2 fuel oil as a supplemental fuel at low loads.

The Grand Lake Generating Station is located approximately 8 km to the east of the Village of Minto. The station began operating in 1931 with two units, each having the capacity to generate 5 megawatts of electricity. The station was built to supply the City of Fredericton and the cotton mill in Marysville. Situated on the shores of Grand Lake, its location was ideal as it was virtually on top of the Minto coalfields, which was its fuel supply (1).

In 1936, a third unit, with a capacity of 6.25 megawatts, was added to the station. Unit, with a capacity of 7.5 megawatts, was installed in 1944 to meet the increased demand for electricity in the province.

A second plant was constructed next to the original building in 1951-52. Three units were installed in response to increased industrial and residential demand for electricity. Units 5 and 6, each with a capacity of 5 megawatts, were commissioned into service in 1951 and 1952 respectively. Unit 7, with a capacity of 15 megawatts, came on-line in 1953. A fourth unit, Unit 8, having a capacity of 60 megawatts, was added to this building in 1963.

Units 1 and 2 were retired from service in 1967 after operating for 36 years. Units 3 and 4 were taken out of service in 1976 after having been in service for 40 and 32 years respectively. The original boiler house was demolished in 1987.

Units 5, 6, and 7 were retired from service in 1993 after each unit had been in operation for more than 39 years. Unit 5 boiler continues to operate as an emergency back up heating system for the plant in the event that Unit 8 is not operating but Unit 5 no longer generates electricity.

Today, the Grand Lake Generating Station has the capacity to generate 60 megawatts of electricity from one coal fired unit, Unit 8. During 2004 , the Grand Lake Generating Station burned 152,046 tonnes of coal.

As required under the Air Quality Regulation - Clean Air Act (2), the station must conduct its operations according to conditions outlined in an Approval to Operate issued under that Regulation. The Approval to Operate specifies conditions that must be complied with in order to prevent unfavourable air quality conditions. Conditions in approvals are generally quite wide-ranging, and may include such requirements as limitations on operational parameters, requirements for testing and monitoring, requirements to operate air pollution control equipment, limits on emissions released to the atmosphere, provisions for equipment upgrade and/or maintenance, requirements for environmental emergency and/or compliance reporting, and a variety of other conditions aimed at minimizing the facility's impact on the environment. The Regulation provides for approvals to be issued by the Minister of the Environment for a specified period, not exceeding five years.

The Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station's Approval to Operate under the Air Quality Regulation, with identification number I-3694 , expires on November 30, 2005 . The Public Participation Regulation (3) under the Clean Air Act (4) calls for a public participation process to be conducted prior to the renewal of Approvals to Operate for large sources of emissions (termed "Class 1 sources"), including the Grand Lake station. This Facility Profile will provide background information on the operation of the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station, including its design, air quality impacts, and compliance with its approval.

PLANT DESIGN

The Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station is the oldest fossil fuel-fired generating station still operating in New Brunswick with a total generating capacity of about 60 megawatts-electrical. The station is fuelled by local coal, with No.2 fuel oil used as a supplemental fuel at low loads.

Process Description

In the thermal electricity generation process used at this facility, steam is generated by the combustion of indigenous coal. Local coal is delivered to the plant by truck where it is crushed to a size of approximately 2 centimetres before being conveyed to storage bunkers. From the coal bunkers, coal is sent to a pulverizer where it is ground into a fine powder, so as to provide more efficient combustion of the fuel.

In the combustion process, the pulverized coal is injected into the boiler where it is mixed with air under high temperature conditions. The coal and air undergo a chemical reaction that results in the burning of the coal, thereby releasing large amounts of heat. Heat from the combustion reaction is transferred through the boiler tube walls to water flowing within the boiler tubes, which causes the water to boil off to generate steam. The steam is superheated in the upper section of the boiler, and is then directed to a turbine that rotates from the heat energy of the steam, and the rotating motion of the turbine drives a generator that converts the mechanical energy into electricity for the New Brunswick electrical grid. The steam is then condensed and reused in the process.

The remainder of the process equipment at the station deals with the environmental control of contaminants generated from the combustion of coal. The combustion reaction generates exhaust gases from the burning of the carbon and volatiles in the coal. The exhaust gases generally consist of solid particles (referred to as "particulate matter") and combustion gases (such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, air, and water vapour). This air pollution control equipment is discussed below.

Air Pollution Control Equipment

The Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station is equipped with an electrostatic precipitator to remove particulate matter generated from the combustion process by electrically charging the particles with an electric current, and collecting the energized particles. The electrostatic precipitator was installed in 1989 and consists of two banks of coils and plates, each with three fields, used for the efficient removal of particulate matter from the flue gas.

The flue gases are then released to the atmosphere via a stack with a height of 76.2 meters (250 feet) above ground level. Unit 8 at Grand Lake is equipped with instrumentation to monitor the opacity (that is, the darkness) of the flue gas on a continuous basis at a location downstream of the electrostatic precipitator. As well, a Software Continuous Emissions Monitoring (SCEM) program developed by NB Power is utilized to estimate the emission rates of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides on a continuous basis.

Operational Procedures

The station carries out a daily air quality prediction program, called a Supplementary Control System (SCS). This program enables plant operators to determine the station's maximum contribution to ambient levels of contaminants for every hour over a 24-hour period.

The SCS consists of a site-specific air quality dispersion model. The SCS is fed with data on the temperature profile of the atmosphere as obtained from the release of a weather balloon (called a "minisonde"), the hour-by-hour weather forecast from Environment Canada, the hour-by-hour load forecast for the station, and data from the most recent fuel analysis. The weather balloon is released once per week and for the other daily SCS runs a worst-case scenario is assumed.

The model then calculates the maximum expected ground-level concentration of sulphur dioxide from the facility for each hour of the day. The SCS provides useful information to station personnel on the expected sulphur dioxide concentrations, on wind direction and duration and on times of wind shifts. The SCS forecast anticipates problems. If elevated sulphur dioxide concentrations are observed in the air shed then control action is taken and the SCS forecast is used to determine how long the problem can be expected to last. If it is expected to be prolonged, Unit 8 may be taken off line.

Continuous and Ambient Monitoring

All NB Power plants, including Grand Lake, have continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMs) or equivalent systems in place to continuously measure emission levels to the atmosphere. At Grand Lake emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are estimated on a continuous basis using a Software Continuous Emissions Monitoring (SCEM) program. Opacity of the flue gas is continuously monitored using instrumentation located within the stack. These monitors allow NB Power to estimate emission rates of these pollutants continuously, and to adjust operating parameters when contaminant levels would indicate a potential emission problem.

In addition, the station operates an ambient air quality monitoring network in the surrounding area to monitor the ground-level concentrations of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter in the ambient air. The network consists of four air quality monitoring stations located at Flower's Cove, Newcastle Center, Bailey Point and Cox Point. Each monitoring station consists of a sulphur dioxide monitor capable of continuous feedback to the control room of the facility and of a particulate matter high volume sampler operating every six days according to Environment Canada's National Air Pollutant Surveillance (NAPS) schedule. In addition to the sulphur dioxide monitor and high volume sampler at the Newcastle Center site, there is also one monitor that measures ambient levels of fine particulate matter (particles less than or equal to 10 microns in diameter, PM10). If station emissions or atmospheric conditions result in elevated concentrations of sulphur dioxide that approach the provincial ambient air quality standard, the station will reduce its generating load (and therefore its emissions) in order to mitigate the exceedance of the standard.

NB Power also operates one acid deposition monitoring station within a radius of 80 kilometres of the Grand Lake facility, in order to monitor deposition levels of wet sulphate, wet nitrate, and acidity in the area. The station is located at Coles Island.

Pollution Prevention Initiatives

The concept of pollution prevention is strongly supported by regulatory agencies worldwide as an effective strategy for protection and enhancement of the environment. Pollution prevention aims to reduce and minimize the formation of environmental contaminants through a number of operational changes, rather than to attempt to control the emission of such contaminants after they have been generated. Pollution prevention offers the added advantage of reducing emissions of several pollutants at once, rather than adding expensive air pollution control equipment that is generally designed to control emissions of only one particular contaminant.

Pollution prevention measures aimed at minimizing air quality impacts from the Grand Lake station include the Supplementary Control System (SCS) as described above. As well, the introduction of new environmental management system (EMS) standards, such as ISO 14000, offers significant promise in the advancement of the pollution prevention concept. NB Power began its implementation of an environmental management system consistent with the ISO 14000 standard at the Coleson Cove Thermal Generating Station in late 1997. Similar plans have been extended to other generating stations, including Grand Lake, which implemented its EMS in the year 2000.

POTENTIAL AIR QUALITY IMPACTS

Ambient Air Quality Impacts

The station operates four ambient air monitoring stations near the site, located at Flower's Cove, Newcastle Center, Bailey Point and Cox Point. Each of these monitoring stations continuously measure sulphur dioxide levels in the air shed and particulate matter is monitored once every six days according to Environment Canada's National Air Pollutant Surveillance (NAPS) schedule. A nearby meteorological tower provides continuous readings of weather conditions near the plant, including ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and barometric pressure. Data collected by these monitors since their commissioning have not revealed any appreciable concentrations of sulphur dioxide or particulate matter. Periodic excursions have been noted for sulphur dioxide, which are generally short-lived but occasionally cause an exceedance of the ambient air quality standards. These monitors detect the integrated concentrations from background as well as from regional and local sources in the area.

NB Power also operates one acid deposition monitoring stations within an 80 kilometre radius of the facility, located in Coles Island. A review of monitoring data collected since 1996 shows that acid deposition in the Grand Lake area has remained fairly constant.

Sulphur Dioxide Emissions

Since 1994, NB Power has operated under a network annual sulphur dioxide emission cap of 123,000 tonnes. This cap was allocated to NB Power as a result of the Canada/New Brunswick Agreement Respecting a Sulphur Dioxide Emission Reduction Program - 1992 (5), and is the main restriction limiting NB Power's operations. NB Power is permitted to apportion the emissions to its individual facilities as it sees fit, provided that ambient air quality is not adversely affected in any region.

Table 1 summarizes the historical sulphur dioxide emissions from NB Power in total and for Grand Lake specifically.

Year NB Power Total SO2 Emissions
(tonnes per year)		 Grand Lake SO2 Emissions
(tonnes per year)		 Grand Lake emissions as
a percentage of
NB Power Total (%)
1993 117,000 15,000 12.82
1994 85,600 18,900 22.08
1995 67,300 24,000 35.66
1996 51,600 26,600 51.55
1997 85,000 22,500 26.47
1998 99,100 22,500 22.70
1999 84,100 21,200 25.21
2000 97,300 25,100 25.80
2001 110,400 28,300 25.63
2002 83,110 24,200 29.12
2003 72,030 23,300 32.35
2004 70,500 24,700 35.04


A couple of observations can be made from the data in Table 1. Firstly, it can be seen that the 123,000 tonne emission cap for the entire NB Power network has not been exceeded since it came into effect in 1994. Secondly, it can be observed that emissions from the Grand Lake station account for a significant portion (approximately 25%) of the total NB Power emissions. This is due to the relatively high sulphur content (approximately 8% sulphur) of the indigenous coal used as fuel.

The station is required to comply with the conditions specified in its Approval to Operate. One such condition requires that NB Power reduce the operating load on the boiler when ground level sulphur dioxide concentrations, measured at the ambient monitoring stations, approach or exceed the ambient standards set in the Air Quality Regulation. This reduces emissions from the plant so as to avoid an exceedance of the ambient standard within the air shed. The station consistently meets these ground level limits as a result of the load reduction procedures, but occasional excursions may occur.

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions

Nitrogen oxides are formed in any combustion process from the dissociation of nitrogen in the air (termed "thermal NOx") and from the nitrogen content of the fuel (termed "fuel NOx"). In almost every case, thermal NOx is dominant since the nitrogen content of fossil fuel is relatively low. Once emitted into the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides participate in a secondary chemical reaction with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone, the major component of photochemical smog. It is widely known that, in general, the ground-level ozone experienced in New Brunswick originates from the long-range transport of pollutants from the eastern United States and central Canada. Nitrogen oxides may also combine with water vapour in the atmosphere to form wet nitrate, which is later deposited at ground level and may cause acidification.

Nitrogen oxide emissions from Grand Lake vary slightly from year to year, but since 1994 they have remained fairly constant, ranging from 800 to 1000 tonnes per year.

Particulate Matter Emissions

Particulate matter forms in a combustion process from the incomplete combustion of fuel, as well as from various impurities that may be contained in the fuel such as trace metals. Particulate matter is significant mainly from a nuisance point of view, where particles ("soot") may deposit themselves on neighbouring properties. However, fine particulate matter is causing increasing concern in the North American community due to the potential health effects of inhaling such particles, which can become lodged inside the human lung.

At the Grand Lake station, particulate matter emissions are controlled in an electrostatic precipitator to achieve up to 99.5% removal. Since 1994 particulate emissions at the facility have ranged between 30 and 120 tonnes of particulate per year, which is a relatively low amount given the size of the facility.

The facility's Approval to Operate specifies a particulate matter limit of 160 milligrams of particulate per cubic metre of air (under standard conditions of 25°C and 101.3 kilopascals and corrected to 3% oxygen). This is the same limit as established in the Thermal Power Generation Emissions - National Guidelines for New Stationary Sources (6). Based on source testing conducted on an annual basis, particulate emissions have been demonstrated to be well within that limit. For example, testing conducted in 2002 revealed particulate concentration of 61.8 milligrams per cubic metre. Tests in 2003 and 2004 resulted in particulate concentrations of 38.3 and 53.8 milligrams per cubic metre, respectively. Therefore, the station is not a significant contributor of particulate matter emissions.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere are significant due to their contribution to climate change (also referred to as "global warming" or the "greenhouse effect"). Climate change occurs as a result of industrial and natural pollutants trapping solar radiation and heat in the earth's atmosphere, resulting in a gradual warming of the planet's atmosphere. Natural variations in global atmospheric temperatures have occurred in past centuries. It now appears that the rate at which global atmospheric temperatures are increasing (currently considered to be approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius per decade) may be higher than has historically been the case. This is believed to be partly due to a gradual increase in pollutant levels in the atmosphere. Left unabated, climate change has the potential to cause serious ecological damage and significantly modify the Earth's climates.

Carbon dioxide is formed in a generating station from the combustion of fossil fuels. In general, the more efficient the combustion process, the more carbon dioxide is produced per unit of heat input as most of the carbon in the fuel is being fully combusted.

Grand Lake contributes between 0.3 and 0.41 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, which represents less than 0.1% of the Canadian total emissions of carbon dioxide. When compared to the overall global context, these emissions are relatively low.

Canada has ratified the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 6% of 1990 levels by 2008-2012. The Federal Government has initiated negotiations with large GHG emitters on covenant agreements for reduction targets. The agreement framework includes provisions for a domestic emissions trading program.

Additionally, the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agreed in 2001 to a Climate Change Action Plan to reduce regional GHG in a manner that is cost effective while maintaining reliable energy supplies. That plan set regional reduction targets:


While New Brunswick accounts for approximately 3% of Canada's GHG emissions, all jurisdictions will be called upon to address climate change. Approximately 90% of New Brunswick's 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions come from the combustion of fossil fuels with electricity generation accounting for approximately 47% or 9 million tonnes. Options to substantially change the generation mix in the short term to address GHG are limited. The refurbishment of the Point Lepreau Generating Station is key to NB Power's strategy to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and meet projected limits. On an annual basis, the Point Lepreau Generating Station reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 2 - 4 million tonnes compared to other fossil-fired generation alternatives.

NB Power expects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the 2010 target of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers by:


To achieve the additional reduction required in 2020, higher margin exports would be foregone or carbon dioxide emission credits acquired. These emission credits may be acquired by the purchase of low emission energy from inside or outside the province or by the purchase of credits through emissions trading mechanisms.

New Brunswick's economy is largely natural resource-based and manufacturing industries are energy intensive and export driven. This presents the challenge of linking GHG emission reduction strategies to energy costs and economic competitiveness. The Provincial Government is developing a Climate Change Action Plan for New Brunswick. In early 2003, an initial consultation process encompassed discussion of emissions reductions targets, sequestration measures and the economic impact of mitigation and adaptation actions. Clarifying the role of nuclear energy will be a priority of the consultation process, as well as defining the reduction targets for each sector of the economy (7, 8).

Impact on Acid Deposition

Emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and other acid gases, when combined with water vapour in air, can contribute to the formation of acid deposition. It has been estimated in studies conducted in 1991 and 1993 that approximately 80 to 85% of wet sulphate deposition and 98% of wet nitrate deposition experienced in our region are the result of long-range transport of pollutants from areas outside New Brunswick (9, 10).

In November 1995, one wet deposition monitoring station was installed in an area near the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station. This monitoring station was sited at Coles Island. Monitoring results show that acid deposition has remained below the initial target loading of 20 kilograms per hectare per year but has exceeded the critical loading of 8 kilograms per hectare per year (11 ).

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

The Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station operates under terms and conditions established in its Approval to Operate, issued pursuant to Section 3 of the Air Quality Regulation - Clean Air Act. Conditions are aimed at ensuring that the station's environmental impact during its day-to-day operations does not adversely affect air quality in surrounding areas, as well as regionally and globally. Compliance with the conditions of approval is mandatory, and any violations may be subject to enforcement measures as described in the Department of Environment's Compliance and Enforcement Policy(12).

Summary of Requirements of the Approval to Operate

The main conditions of the Approval to Operate I-3694 that was issued on December 15th, 2002 , for the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station, can be summarized as follows:

  1. Limit the rate of discharge of particulate matter from the stack to less than 160 milligrams per cubic metre of flue gas (at standard conditions and corrected to 3% oxygen);

  2. Ensure that the facility's contribution to ambient ground-level concentrations of sulphur dioxide does not exceed 900 micrograms per cubic metre (34 pphm) on a one-hour basis, 300 micrograms per cubic metre (11 pphm) on a 24-hour basis, or 30 micrograms per cubic metre (1 pphm) on an annual basis. As well, the facility was not to cause an exceedance of the ambient air quality standards in Schedule B of the Air Quality Regulation;

  3. Operate a software continuous emission monitoring (SCEM) system to continuously measure the rates of discharge of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the stack, and to maintain records of such measurements;

  4. Operate a continuous opacity monitor located at a point downstream of the electrostatic precipitator at all times during which the facility is in continuous operation;

  5. Operate a supplementary control system (SCS) on a daily basis to predict the ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide resulting from the operation of the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station;

  6. Initiate a reduction of the operating load on the boiler in order to reduce the environmental impact of the facility when sulphur dioxide concentrations measured at ground level approach or exceed the limits established in the Air Quality Regulation;

  7. Perform stack sampling of the flue gases on an annual basis to determine the emission rate of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter using approved methodology, and to provide a report of such measurements to the Minister;

  8. Operate an ambient air quality monitoring network in the area of the facility with at least four monitoring stations capable of measuring sulphur dioxide on a continuous basis and capable of measuring particulate matter once every six days according to the Environment Canada NAPS schedule;

  9. Install and operate one ambient monitor capable of measuring fine particulate matter (particles less than or equal to 10 microns in diameter, PM10);

  10. Operate at least one wet sulphate deposition monitoring station located within 80 kilometres of the facility;

  11. Submit a quarterly report on the operation of the facility, to include details of any upsets or abnormal conditions, a summary of predicted ground level concentrations as obtained from the SCS and to provide all quality-assured SCEM data and ambient air quality data;

  12. Submit an annual report on the quantities and quality of any fuel burned each year, along with the calculated emission rates of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide; and

  13. Submit a detailed annual report on the operation of the facility, to include summary information on any violations, the annual capacity factor, and a summary on the operation of the ambient air, SCEM and acid deposition monitoring systems.

Compliance with Conditions of Approval

All conditions of the Approval to Operate I-3694 have been met to date since the issuance of the Approval on December 15th, 2002, with the exception of a few exceedances of the hourly ambient sulphur dioxide standard (see number 2 below). In accordance with the main conditions of Approval listed above, the following is a summary of the facility's compliance with these conditions over the calendar years 2002, 2003 and 2004 :

  1. Stack sampling of the flue gases was performed each year, and the results have shown that the emission rate of particulate matter is well below the limit of 160 mg/m3 (result for 2002 = 61.8 mg/m3, result for 2003 = 38.3 mg/m3, result for 2004 = 53.8 mg/m3);

  2. During the life of the Approval, there were few exceedances of the ambient air quality control limits and of the ambient air quality standards as detailed in Schedule B of the Air Quality Regulation. The following summarizes the exceedances observed during 2002, 2003 and 2004 :

    Type of Exceedance Number of Exceedances in 2002 Number of Exceedances in 2003 Number ofExceedances in 2004
    Hourly SO2 average greater than 900 µg/m3 (34 pphm) ambient standard 8 6 7
    24-hour SO2 average greater than 300 µg/m3 (11 pphm) ambient standard 0 0 0
    Annual SO2 average greater than 30 µg/m3 (1 pphm) ambient standard 0 0 0
    Annual SO2 average greater than 60 µg/m3 (2 pphm) ambient standard 0 0 0


  3. Software continuous emission monitoring systems for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides were operated continuously throughout the period of the Approval, at a system availability of 100%;

  4. A continuous opacity monitor was operated at all times that the facility was in continuous operation and the opacity data is kept on file at the Grand Lake station;

  5. The supplementary control system was operated on a daily basis throughout the duration of the Approval;

  6. Control action, via load reduction on the boiler, was implemented on approximately 330 occasions since January 2002 , in response to increased ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide or poor atmospheric conditions. The load reductions were implemented in an attempt to prevent exceedances of the ambient sulphur dioxide limits.

  7. Stack sampling for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides was conducted annually by qualified personnel;

  8. Four ambient sulphur dioxide monitors and four high volume particulate monitors were in operation throughout the period of the approval, except during periods of calibration and regular maintenance that were generally short-lived. There have been no reliability problems observed with the monitors. All sulphur dioxide monitors have a continuous feedback to the station's control room and readings are monitored continuously by plant operators;

  9. In addition to the sulphur dioxide monitor and high volume sampler at the Newcastle Center site, there is also one monitor that measures ambient levels of fine particulate matter (particles less than or equal to 10 microns in diameter, PM10)

  10. One wet sulphate deposition monitoring station was operated reliably within 80 kilometres of the facility. The monitor is located in Coles Island;

  11. Quarterly reports have been submitted on time and were complete;

  12. Annual fuel consumption and fuel quality reports have been submitted on time and were complete, in addition to calculated emission rates of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide; and

  13. Detailed annual reports have been submitted on time and were complete.

Enforcement

Enforcement options used by the Department of Environment are outlined in the Department's Compliance and Enforcement Policy (12 ). These may include but are not limited to: schedules of compliance, verbal and written warnings, orders, and prosecutions. Although not specifically outlined in the Policy, it is also possible to amend approvals with more stringent conditions, both during its valid period and at the time of renewal, to address specific compliance issues or to improve the environmental impact of the facility. Most recently, a new Regulation under the Clean Air Act allows for the issuance of "administrative penalties" for minor violations as an alternative to traditionally used enforcement options.

To date there have been no air quality-related warnings, administrative penalties or orders issued to the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station. In addition, no prosecutions have taken place in regard to air quality matters for this station.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

NB Power's position on public outreach is that in order to foster positive community relations, and as an accountability measure with New Brunswick ratepayers, it has an open-door policy regarding all of its facilities, including Grand Lake, whereby any member of the public or interested party wishing to obtain further information about the operation of its generating facilities may contact NB Power during regular business hours. The agency may also make arrangements for a tour of the facility or other community interaction as appropriate. NB Power makes available information on its generating facilities through the annual publication of an "Environmental Performance Report", which is available to any member of the public upon request. The Corporation also maintains an Internet web site, which provides information about electricity, generation facilities, environmental performance, and a variety of other issues.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For further information on the operation of the Grand Lake Thermal Generating Station, please contact:

Corporate Contact Person:

Mr. Jim Samms
Technical Assistant II
Environmental Services
New Brunswick Power Holding Corporation
P.O. Box 2010 , 515 King Street
Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5G4
Telephone: (506) 458-3756
Fax: (506) 458-4000
Email: jsamms@nbpower.com

Station Contact Person:

Mr. Jack Walsworth
Station Manager
Grand Lake Generating Station
New Brunswick Power Generation Corporation
25 Wharf Road
Newcastle Creek, N.B. E4B 2J8
Telephone: (506) 327-2806
Fax: (506) 327-2809
Email: jwalsworth@nbpower.com

For information on this document, or on environmental regulations relating to air quality, please contact:

Mr. Mark Glynn, P.Eng.
Manager, Energy and Manufacturing
Approvals Branch
NB Department of Environment
P.O. Box 6000, 20 McGloin Street
Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H1
Telephone: (506) 453-4463
Fax: (506) 457-7805
Email: mark.glynn@gnb.ca

For comments or enquiries on the public participation process, please contact:

Ms. Michelle Daigle
Public Participation Officer
Communications and Educational Services Branch
NB Department of Environment
P.O. Box 6000, 20 McGloin Street
Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H1
Telephone: (506) 453-3700
Fax: (506) 453-3843
Email: michelle.daigle@gnb.ca

REFERENCES
  1. New Brunswick Power Generation Corporation. Approval Application Form. March 11, 2005.

  2. Government of New Brunswick. Air Quality Regulation. Regulation 97-133 filed under the Clean Air Act, 1997.

  3. Government of New Brunswick. Public Participation Regulation. Regulation 2001-98 filled under the Clean Air Act, 2001.

  4. Government of New Brunswick. Clean Air Act. Chapter C-5.2, S.N.B. 1997.

  5. Governments of Canada and New Brunswick. Canada/New Brunswick Agreement Respecting a Sulphur Dioxide Emission Reduction Program - 1992. March 1992.

  6. Government of Canada. Thermal Power Generation Emissions - National Guidelines for New Stationary Sources. Environment Canada, guideline published under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, February 1993.

  7. New Brunswick Power Corporation. 2002 Environmental Performance Report. August 2003.

  8. New Brunswick Power Corporation. 2003 Environmental Performance Report. May 2004.

  9. Davis, C.S., Wong, V., Ciccone, A. Adaptation and Application of a Model for Predicting Wet Sulphur Deposition in New Brunswick. Concord Environmental, report CEC J1773, December 1991.

  10. Davis, C.S., Wong, V., Ciccone, A. Adaptation and Application of a Model for Predicting Wet Nitrogen Deposition in New Brunswick. Concord Environmental, report CEC J1773N, April 1993.

  11. New Brunswick Department of Environment . Air Quality Monitoring Results in New Brunswick For The Year 2003. December 2004.

  12. New Brunswick Department of Environment. Compliance and Enforcement Policy. December 1994.