SPIPB strengthens environmental oversight with new air quality monitoring program
The Société du parc industriel et portuaire de Bécancour (SPIPB) has announced the implementation of an air quality monitoring program aimed at informing the public about atmospheric conditions around the park. Initiated in 2024, the program was developed in response to the arrival of new industrial facilities and seeks to provide transparent and continuous monitoring of local air quality.
This voluntary program was developed in partnership with the W8banaki Nation, the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec, the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (a Green Marine supporter), the City of Bécancour and the Municipality of Champlain, and involves participation from about 15 companies operating in the Park, including QSL, a Green Marine certified participant. Through these collaborations, the SPIPB launched a prefeasibility study and selected partners who will assist in choosing station locations, installing equipment, and analyzing data.
Four monitoring stations were installed in strategic locations: in the eastern (Parc La Prade), central (near Moeve), and western (Bécancour sector) parts of the Park, as well as on the north shore, in the Municipality of Champlain. They will continuously measure fine particulate matter equal to or smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5), while two of them will also measure respirable particles equal to or smaller than 10 micrometres (PM10) to assess the presence of 28 types of suspended metals.
For the SPIPB, this monitoring is not a regulatory requirement but rather a voluntary measure aimed at sharing reliable data with the community. Management states that it intends to demonstrate attentive listening and maintain a climate of trust regarding changes in the surrounding environment.
Photo: Guy Beauchesne. Société de parc industriel et portuaire de Bécancour