Black smoke from the three COB (coke-oven battery) stacks is a major source of particulate air pollution in the west end of the city.
The relative amount of particulate matter is continuously monitored and recorded as "stack opacity".
Ontario Regulation 507/09, s. 32 (1)...
Opacity (1) No person shall cause or permit an emission into the air that, during a period of six consecutive minutes, obstructs the passage of light at any point by an average of more than 20 per cent.
The graph below was presented at the public open house Monday, November 29, 2021.
The graph gives clear evidence that #7 COB is in violation of the regulations most of the time (and has been for many years)... and yet the MECP has failed to take any punitive actions to force the company to correct the situation.
#8 COB also shows significant numbers of stack opacity violations.
This graph (from the ASI website) shows how frequently the coke-oven stack emissions are exceeding the regulated maximum of 20% opacity.
COMMUNITY ALERT: ASI has announced its proposed transition to EAF steel-making and the planned shutdown of #7 COB in 2025 (?) followed by the total shutdown of #8 COB and #9 COB and the blast furnaces by 2030. The community and MECP must be vigilant and insist that the company continue with maintenance/repair of the COBs and not allow the air quality to deteriorate further.