The topic of light has been gaining ground around the world and beginning to gain ground in Canada. With the industrial growth in the Heartland region, we anticipate that light will also become an issue for some residents, particularly those close to facilities.
While light issues are not being handled by a regional organization, residents are encouraged to contact the affecting company directly.
Light initiatives currently underway in the Heartland include:
North West Upgrading Inc.
“Through open consultation with residents surrounding the North West Upgrading (NWU) project site, NWU heard how important the dark nighttime sky was to those country residents. We understand that part of country life is the enjoyment of a star-filled sky, and the minimal impact of light from industrial facilities being constructed in the Heartland region. Of course there has to be enough light at heavy industrial facilities to ensure safe operation, but in response to those public concerns, NWU voluntarily adopted many ‘dark-sky’ design principles to its facility design, including the use of lighting instruments that reduce light trespass and glare, setting floodlight angles as low as practical, installing shielded luminaries that reduce stray light emission, and identifying areas where light levels could be reduced when not in use. While set well within the long-standing heavy Industrial area, and surrounded by other heavy industrial facilities, NWU has been responsive to public concerns on many fronts, including minimizing light trespass and glare from its bitumen upgrader, and we believe we will be considered a good industrial neighbor to Heartland stakeholders.”
For more information about NWU’s light initiative, please contact:
Doug Bertsch
VP Regulatory Affairs, North West Upgrading Inc.
North West Upgrading Inc.
Phone: (403) 451-4171
Fax: (403) 451-4197
Email: dbertsch@northwestupgrading.com
Shell
Shell Scotford's Upgrader, Refinery and Chemicals facilities works hard to minimize the use of lighting across our site while ensuring the safety of our employees and contractors, as well as the security of our operations. For any new lighting, the Shell Canada standard for lighting design requires outdoor lights to be equipped with shades to minimize stray light, and to be controlled with photo-electric relays. For a recent road and parking lot development, 'dark sky' compliant lighting was specified and installed to reduce light pollution.
In addition, there was a commitment for Upgrader Expansion 1 construction "to limit the effects of light by restricting lighting to that required for safety purposes, and by using directional shades." Some of the measures instituted at the construction site include: the use of shades; north hub has security lighting only; the parking lot lights are on a timer; at night only some intersections have lighting; for construction work, task lighting only and head lamps.
For more information about Shell's light initiative, please contact:
Randy Provencal
Communications Manager, Shell Scotford
Phone: (780) 992.3027
Fax: (780) 992.3825
Email: randy.provencal@shell.com
If you are having a concern with industrial light, please contact the effecting industrial company.
