The provincial government has told the developers pitching a large recreational vehicle campground in Shediac to reduce the number of campsites or limit campfires after a report suggested emissions would be 10 to 20 times higher than air quality standards.

The Anglican Parish of Shediac, with Camping Shediac Ltd. acting as developer, is seeking to build up to 542 campsites on parish land between Parlee Beach Road and Pointe du Chêne Road.

The potential impact on air quality was modelled by a consultant as part of an ongoing provincial environmental impact assessment of the campground.

A March 26 letter from the province to the developers raises questions about more than 30 aspects of the plan, including an assessment of air-quality impacts.

The modelling considered the impact of either 210 or 490 campfires burning at the same time. The letter says the results show the campground would exceed air quality standards "by very large margins (10x to 20x)" near homes and public areas.

That would exceed non-binding federal standards and New Brunswick's regulated standard for total suspended particulate matter, the letter says.

Health concerns

Barbara MacKinnon, president and CEO of the New Brunswick Lung Association, said smoke from campfires can lead to coughing, itchy noses or watery eyes.

"This is not an innocuous substance," MacKinnon said. "I understand people love a campfire, but the health impacts are very important, especially when you might have multiple people lighting fires.

"If the smoke blows toward you, as it often does with a campfire, you're going to have health outcomes."

She said particulate matter in smoke can have serious health effects for people with underlying health problems such as cardiovascular and lung diseases. For those people, it can trigger reactions that may require a hospital visit.

MacKinnon suggested one way to address the issue would be banning campfires.

Reduce impact

The province's letter calls on the parish and developer to revise its plans to reduce the impact on air quality.

Options suggested include reducing the total number of campsites or reducing or eliminating fire pits and then submitting a revised assessment.

The letter also says the province asked the developer to consider air pollution from portable stoves and barbecues, but that information was not provided or included in the air-quality modelling.

Developers silent

Luc LeBlanc, a director for Shediac Camping Ltd., did not respond to a request for comment about the letter from the province.

The proposed site of the mega-campground in Shediac, in the forested area centre, is undergoing an environmental assessment by the province that began in 2017. (Google Maps)

A person who answered the phone at the Anglican Parish of Shediac office said they were "not allowed to comment" and directed CBC to a spokesperson for the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton.

Gisele McKnight said in an email that Bishop David Edwards is reserving comment while the proposal is still at the parish level.

Existing concerns

Arthur Melanson, a vice-president with the Red Dot Association, said the group had previously raised concerns about campfire smoke. He said there's already a campfire smell on certain evenings from existing campgrounds.

"There was already a bit of an issue before, what's that air going to be like when it's all said and done?" Melanson said. "So there's a concern in that area to see what kind of mitigation plan they'll put in place."

The existing air quality was another item raised for clarification by the province in its letter.

Several dozen people attended an open house meeting earlier this year to review revised plans for the campground. The province has said those plans should again be changed to respond to air-quality concerns. (Shane Magee/CBC)

The proposed campground has faced years of opposition related to environmental concerns related to building on wetland.

The parish filed for environmental approval to build the campground in May 2017 seeking to build up to 700 campsites. The plans were scaled back earlier this year after the province remapped wetland on the site.

The province's technical review committee previously raised 97 questions or issues with the original plans. The committee, which carries out environmental impact assessments, is comprised of technical specialists from government agencies.

The committee raised more than 30 additional questions or issues in the March 26 letter that must be addressed by the developer. The letter says more questions may follow.