Black plume over Edmonton, no hazard from refinery flare

EDMONTON- Alberta Environment says a 12-hour refinery flare that left a black plume visible for kilometres over Edmonton’s eastern skyline didn’t create a public health hazard.

Spokesman Jamie Hanlon says monitoring equipment registered no changes in air quality as the flare stack from Imperial Oil’s Strathcona refinery shot flame and smoke into the atmosphere last Friday.

Imperial spokesman Jon Harding says flaring began shortly before noon and lasted until almost midnight.

He says the problem was caused by a compressor and a steam generator malfunctioning at the same time.