A new survey that shows high levels of benzene in Champlain Heights has Gordon Dalzell of the Clean Air Coalition shaking his head. Dalzell says the Irving Oil Refinery pumps out 2.9 tons of benzene into the air a year, a substance that is linked to certain kinds of cancers. He says the encouraging news is that the oil refinery is doing something to fix the problem. Dalzell hopes the vapour recovery systems Irving is installing will reduce the amount of benzene in the air by 25%.
But Dalzell says the level of benzene going into the air should be at zero. He's urging the federal and provincial governments to set their own standards regulating benzene emissions.
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