Proposed New Provincial Air Quality Criteria for PM2.5

Prepared for Meeting of

BC Lung Clean Air Network

February 12, 2008

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Purpose

• Clarify purpose and application • Summarize ministry’s intentions • Discuss implications• Address questions

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What are Air Quality Criteria?

• Limits on the presence of contaminants in the atmosphere (not at the source)

• Established to protect human health and the environment

• Various terms used, but Air Quality Objectives (AQO’s) are primary management tools in B.C.

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How are They Used?

• Gauge current/historical air quality

• Guide decisions around assessments and approvals

• Calculate the Air Quality Index (AQI)

• Guide decisions around advisories

• Guide airshed planning efforts• Guide regulatory development

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Need for Provincial AQO’s

• Presently no PM2.5 objective to guide day-to-day air management in B.C.

• Ongoing reliance on:−PM10 objective−Canada-wide Standards for PM2.5

• Provincial AQO’s needed to support approvals, advisories and airshed planning

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Process to Establish AQO’s

• Review of science and regulatory approaches elsewhere

• Early consultations• Ministry intentions paper• Consultation• Implementation

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Proposed Framework• 24-hour average objective

−To address day-to-day management issues (e.g. burn bans) and guide approvals

• Annual average objective−To support overall reduction in exposure−To facilitate reporting and guide approvals

• Planning goal−Voluntary long-term goal to support

continuous improvement and airshed planning

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Proposed Criteria

• 24-hour AQO25 ug/m3

• Annual AQO 8 ug/m3

• Planning Goal 6 ug/m3

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Implications of Proposed Air Quality Objectives

• Most areas well below proposed AQO’s

• Between 2004-2006, areas exceeding proposed objectives included: −Prince George - Vanderhoof−Quesnel - Williams Lake−100 Mile House - Valemount−Revelstoke - Kamloops (wildfires)

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Implications of Proposed Air Quality Objectives [2]

• Frequency of advisories may increase in woodsmoke impacted areas

• May trigger more frequent bans on burning

• Additional factors to consider in decisions on assessments and approvals

Implications of Proposed 24-hour PM2.5 Objective(based on 2004-2006 PM2.5 data at TEOM sites)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Kitimat Riverlodge

Terrace Nanaimo Whistler Powell River Victoria RRU

Abbotsford Fort Nelson

Hope

Burnaby SouthBurnaby Kens.Crofton South

Vancouver Kitsilano

Langley

Victoria TopazPort Moody

Vancouver Air;port

Chilliwack Pitt Meadows

Nelson Kamloops

Quesnel W.CorrelieuGolden Hospital

W. Lake CRD Golden Townsite

Vernon Smithers

W. Lake Columneetza

W. Lake Skyline Houston Firehall

Kelowna

PG Gladstone PG Plaza 400Osoyoos

Quesnel Sr SecQuesnel Maple

Annual 98th Percentile PM2.5 Concentration (

÷g/m

3 ) 2004

2005

2006

Proposed Objective

Note : Only those sites that had valid date for 2006 are included (for a total of 34 sites)

Implications of Proposed Annual PM2.5 Criteria(based on 2004-2006 PM2.5 data at TEOM sites)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Kitimat Riverlodge

Terrace Powell River

Hope Nanaimo Whistler

Victoria RRUFort Nelson Burnaby Kens.Burnaby South

Nelson

Crofton SouthVancouver Air;port

Pitt Meadows Kamloops

Langley Osoyoos Kelowna

Vancouver KitsilanoQuesnel W.Correlieu

Port Moody Victoria TopazW. Lake CRD

Vernon

Houston FirehallW. Lake Skyline Golden TownsitePG Gladstone

W. Lake Columneetza

Smithers

Golden HospitalQuesnel Maple PG Plaza 400Quesnel Sr Sec

PM2.5 Concentration (

÷g/m

3 )

2004

2005

2006

Proposed Objective

Proposed Planning Goal

Note : Only those sites that had valid data for 2006 are included (for a total of 34 sites).

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Implications of Proposed Planning Goal

• Approx. 50% of sites equal or exceed planning goal

• Encourage communities to maintain good air quality and improve where possible

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Initiatives to Reduce PM2.5 Emissions

• Provincial air initiative:−Cleaner buses and diesel vehicles−Beehive burner phase-out−Cleaner woodstoves−Cleaner industry

• Review of Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation

• Airshed planning

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Monitoring Challenges• TEOMs known to under-measure • Will be upgraded or changed out over

time & reference samplers added• May result in higher measurements

at some sites • Other provinces have same challenge• Province will use best available data

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Summary• 24-hour and annual AQO’s

proposed to support day-to-day air management

• Planning goal proposed to support continuous improvement and airshed planning

• Supported by provincial air initiative and community efforts in airshed planning

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Comments?

• Intentions paper and response form available online at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/air/airquality/

• Please send comments to cindybertram@shaw.ca by Feb. 29, 2008