American consultants warned Belco that air-monitoring sensors being considered for use by the utility to detect pollutants do not meet US regulatory standards.

According to the latest publicly available minutes from the emissions regulator, the Environmental Authority, Belco agreed to look at the suitability of pole-mounted sensors, but were advised by unnamed consultants against using them because they do not comply with US Environmental Protection Agency standards for data quality.

In an EA meeting dated March 23, the authority requested that Belco explore the use of the equipment that could be used for screening before consideration of locations for a certified portable monitoring station.

Wayne Caines, president of Belco and parent company Liberty, said that approvals by the Regulatory Authority, which oversees the electricity sector, take a long time to be processed.

The minutes said: “Mr Caines confirmed that any additional [certified] monitoring stations would require prior approval of the RA for the expenditure. Getting budget and RA approval generally takes a considerable time.”

In a further EA meeting on April 25, it was noted: “Pole-mounted sensors, whilst not US EPA-certified, are being investigated for deployment by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a good screening method.

“Their readings will help determine the most suitable site for a US EPA-Certified air monitoring station.”

Clean Air Regulations 1993 and Clean Air Act 1991 are being updated in the Clean Air Act Amendment Bill, which is set to be tabled in Parliament this year.

It is expected that the amendments will bring Bermuda in line with the UK/EU Air Quality Objective.

That sets the maximum number of exceedances of sulphur dioxide, for example, over a 15-minute period at 35 per year.

A monitoring unit on Ocean Lane, which has been out of operation for just over a year because the homeowner on whose property it was located wished for it to be removed — hence the need for pole-mounted devices — detected 63 exceedances of the UK/EU Objective in 2021.

It was noted in the April EA meeting that “prosecutions under the Clean Air Regulations 1993 are more likely to be successful when completed, using data collected from US EPA-certified air monitoring stations”.

The Royal Gazette reported last August that a 9 per cent cut to the home affairs ministry budget resulted in the shutdown of a government-funded, air-monitoring programme that cost $230,000. Belco’s own monitoring regime continued.

The EA said that Geoff Smith, environmental engineer for the DENR, which advises the authority, added that the government programme could be reinstated.

The EA minutes said it is expected that there will be one certified station and one pole-mounted sensor at East Broadway, and several pole-mounted sensors located around Belco, with one at Prospect.

The authority took note that the DENR and Belco are continuing to look for sites for an ambient, air-monitoring station near Ocean Lane and Whitney Avenue.

In a statement last night, Mr Caines reiterated the energy provider’s commitment to addressing complaints about emissions from the Pembroke facility.

He noted that “shims” were installed on all NPS engines to reduce the release of soot flakes, while piston crowns were installed to reduce the size and frequency of fallout.

Phase three of the project, modifying engine start-up procedures to prevent soot build-up, was recently completed while a dryer skid intended to further reduce fallout will be installed later this year.

“Some of our neighbours occasionally experience odours due to the downdrafting effect,” Mr Caines said. “This experience should be improved even further as the phased engine remediation plan continues to progress.

“However, we continue to monitor the wind patterns and make adjustments to our operations as necessary to reduce these experiences.

“It is important to note that Belco continually monitors their impact to the environment through ambient air-quality measuring sites in Pembroke.

“This testing of emissions from the exhaust stacks provides data to ensure Belco operations are operating within the Bermuda standards.”