Cutbanks- the Prince George Cultural Website
Toxic levels of formaldehyde in Prince George? We don't know
By Tyler Clarke, editor
There might be toxic levels of formaldehyde in Prince George’s air, at levels estimated to be 20 times over the BC action level, but no one knows for sure. Despite having collected air samples in the Millar Addition area with high levels of formaldehyde about 10 months ago, retesting to determine whether or not these samples were a fluke have yet to take place.
President of PG Air George Stedeford offered local residents an apology for this inaction during a public meeting organized by PACHA on Wednesday March 10 at the Sacred Heart School auditorium in the Millar Addition, telling residents that although he doesn’t know why retesting didn’t take place, they should have.
“PG Air apologizes for the fact that in 09 we didn’t jump out and get more samples,” he conceded.
During the public meeting, this issue of high levels of formaldehyde in Prince George air that the CBC broke recently, was fleshed out for the audience in mainly easily understood terms.
About 10 months ago, two samples were taken of Prince George’s air within the Millar Addition area of town. Both tests revealed levels of formaldehyde around 20 times over the BC action level. That said, not much should be made of these levels, as Stedeford dismissed these levels for a few reasons. The samples were investigated 48 hours after they were taken, 18 hours after the 30 hour suggested time frame, and one of the samples even burst before being investigated, possibly affecting its results. Taking only two tests, Stedeford added, is not enough to draw any conclusions.
Now, 10 months later, after the CBC broke the story to the public, re-testing has finally been planned for some time in the near future, a lag in time Stedeford and various organizations were chastised for several times throughout the meeting, resulting in loud approving applause from the residents attending the meeting.
Northern Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. William Osei was an instrumental figure in the public meeting, putting the high formaldehyde levels into context. Although PACHA president Dave Fuller provided hearsay evidence about the medical effects of formaldehyde levels in the air, Osei was able to provide harder medial fact.
“Formaldehyde surrounds us already,” Osei told the audience. Formaldehyde, he went on, is the end result of incomplete combustion, and is created as a result of forest fires, industrial activities, exhaust from vehicles, among other things. Glue and other chemicals in wood products and carpets also spit out formaldehyde. Carpets, Osei made sure to make clear, are a major factor in combating formaldehyde levels. When putting in new carpet, Osei told the audience, “we should open our windows, because the air outside is better.”
The audience’s scoffing at this comment of Osei’s could be justified if the now dismissed two samples of Prince George’s air are accurate, and levels of formaldehyde in the air are in fact as high as they imply they are. Osei said that if the two tests are accurate, the levels of formaldehyde in the air outside are roughly the same as in a room with a new carpet.
“Formaldehyde is a carcinogen,” Osei concluded. “There’s no doubt about it, it causes cancer.”
Other effects, Osei went on, include eye, nose, and skin irritation, and cancer in the long term.
“We should use facts,” Osei said, in combating such air quality issues. “We should not use innuendo… We need facts.”
This comment seemed like a call to action for PG Air to pick up the re-testing they admit that should have taken place months ago. Citizens in the hardest-hit by poor air quality, the Millar Addition area, will also be provided the materials required to take air quality tests themselves.
The official re-testing, Stedeford said, will consist of more than two samples taken, with the exact number to be determined by an analyst. The materials for testing should arrive within the next three weeks, with testing to be taken at a time deemed effective, by the analysts.
During his conclusion remarks, mayor Dan Rogers chastised PG Air, saying that communication with the public must improve “significantly.” Although PG Air revealed the results of the high formaldehyde levels on their website and in a press release they gave to the media, the public at large remained ignorant of this issue until the CBC broke the story recently.
“It’s not good enough if it’s just posted online in terms most people won’t understand,” Rogers concluded.
There might be toxic levels of formaldehyde in Prince George’s air, at levels estimated to be 20 times over the BC action level, but no one knows for sure. Despite having collected air samples in the Millar Addition area with high levels of formaldehyde about 10 months ago, retesting to determine whether or not these samples were a fluke have yet to take place.
President of PG Air George Stedeford offered local residents an apology for this inaction during a public meeting organized by PACHA on Wednesday March 10 at the Sacred Heart School auditorium in the Millar Addition, telling residents that although he doesn’t know why retesting didn’t take place, they should have.
“PG Air apologizes for the fact that in 09 we didn’t jump out and get more samples,” he conceded.
During the public meeting, this issue of high levels of formaldehyde in Prince George air that the CBC broke recently, was fleshed out for the audience in mainly easily understood terms.
About 10 months ago, two samples were taken of Prince George’s air within the Millar Addition area of town. Both tests revealed levels of formaldehyde around 20 times over the BC action level. That said, not much should be made of these levels, as Stedeford dismissed these levels for a few reasons. The samples were investigated 48 hours after they were taken, 18 hours after the 30 hour suggested time frame, and one of the samples even burst before being investigated, possibly affecting its results. Taking only two tests, Stedeford added, is not enough to draw any conclusions.
Now, 10 months later, after the CBC broke the story to the public, re-testing has finally been planned for some time in the near future, a lag in time Stedeford and various organizations were chastised for several times throughout the meeting, resulting in loud approving applause from the residents attending the meeting.
Northern Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. William Osei was an instrumental figure in the public meeting, putting the high formaldehyde levels into context. Although PACHA president Dave Fuller provided hearsay evidence about the medical effects of formaldehyde levels in the air, Osei was able to provide harder medial fact.
“Formaldehyde surrounds us already,” Osei told the audience. Formaldehyde, he went on, is the end result of incomplete combustion, and is created as a result of forest fires, industrial activities, exhaust from vehicles, among other things. Glue and other chemicals in wood products and carpets also spit out formaldehyde. Carpets, Osei made sure to make clear, are a major factor in combating formaldehyde levels. When putting in new carpet, Osei told the audience, “we should open our windows, because the air outside is better.”
The audience’s scoffing at this comment of Osei’s could be justified if the now dismissed two samples of Prince George’s air are accurate, and levels of formaldehyde in the air are in fact as high as they imply they are. Osei said that if the two tests are accurate, the levels of formaldehyde in the air outside are roughly the same as in a room with a new carpet.
“Formaldehyde is a carcinogen,” Osei concluded. “There’s no doubt about it, it causes cancer.”
Other effects, Osei went on, include eye, nose, and skin irritation, and cancer in the long term.
“We should use facts,” Osei said, in combating such air quality issues. “We should not use innuendo… We need facts.”
This comment seemed like a call to action for PG Air to pick up the re-testing they admit that should have taken place months ago. Citizens in the hardest-hit by poor air quality, the Millar Addition area, will also be provided the materials required to take air quality tests themselves.
The official re-testing, Stedeford said, will consist of more than two samples taken, with the exact number to be determined by an analyst. The materials for testing should arrive within the next three weeks, with testing to be taken at a time deemed effective, by the analysts.
During his conclusion remarks, mayor Dan Rogers chastised PG Air, saying that communication with the public must improve “significantly.” Although PG Air revealed the results of the high formaldehyde levels on their website and in a press release they gave to the media, the public at large remained ignorant of this issue until the CBC broke the story recently.
“It’s not good enough if it’s just posted online in terms most people won’t understand,” Rogers concluded.
