A strong odour was smelled in both Burnaby and Vancouver, Sunday morning.
Burnaby Fire Department told Global News attended the Parkland Refinery for a vapour discharge.
Community members in Burnaby and Vancouver said they smelled a burning rubber or plastic and petroleum-type odour.
Burnaby Fire Chief Chris Bowcock provided an update on Sunday afternoon.
“The facility here was shut down earlier this week (and) as part of their startup process, one of the units had a small issue,” he said.
“It was very quickly and rapidly dealt with. There was some discharge and steam and a little bit of smoke with some strong odour attached. None of that constitutes a risk to the community.”
Metro Vancouver said it is assessing if bylaws were broken in the incident.
“Parkland Refining holds a valid air quality permit with Metro Vancouver, and officers are assessing compliance with that permit, which will be an ongoing process,” the regional district said in an email.
Metro Vancouver has issued an Air Quality Bulletin applicable to the northwest and northeast portions of the region.
Community members are advised if they smell odour in their area, they can move inside if they are outdoors, and close windows, doors, and air intakes to reduce their exposure to the odour.
People with chronic underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, and/or diabetes or are sensitive to fine particulate air pollution, may wish to reduce their outdoor physical activity until this bulletin is lifted.
Parkland Refinery told Global News no one was available for an interview.
It responded by email.
“Early this morning, we experienced an issue with one of the processing units at the Burnaby refinery,” a spokesperson said.
“We responded immediately with support from the Burnaby Fire Department and the RCMP. No injuries have been reported at this time.
“Neighbours in the community may notice temporarily elevated smoke, odours and particulate matter. We continue to work with relevant authorities, and our refinery team is working to resolve this temporary issue.”
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