With pulp mill closure, will Prince George still be marked by ‘the smell of money’?

By Andrew Kurjata
CBC News
April 7, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

As visitors drive into the city of Prince George, they are often greeted by a distinct aroma resembling sulfur and rotten eggs.  Locally, it’s referred to as “the smell of money” due to the longstanding understanding that the scent is generated by pulp mills.  But this week, pulp production at one of those mills is coming to a close.  That has some in the city wondering whether the “smell of money” will stop. …Meteorologist Peter Jackson said the smell most people notice is caused by a group of compounds known as total reduced sulphur, which come from the mills as well as other sources. …The air is frequently trapped in the city due to a geographical feature known as “the bowl” — the river valley of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers. …Jackson said stinky air isn’t necessarily unhealthy… we can detect the scent of total reduced sulphur at “a thousandfold less than what the health impact would be.”

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