Categories: Pollution | British Columbia

Air pollution in British Columbia

Air pollution is a concern to citizens, governments, industry and First Nations in British Columbia (BC), Canada because of its effects on health and visibility.

Contents

1 Sources of air pollution

Sources of air pollution

Sources of air pollution in British Columbia may be divided between those external to the province, such as transboundary pollution, and those internal to it; and between anthropogenic (man-made) sources and natural sources. External anthropogenic sources include combustion particles and gases from industrial sources in the province of Alberta or the U.S. state of Washington. Mount St. Helens has been a significant external natural source: although located entirely in the United States, its eruption created air pollution in parts of British Columbia. Automobile exhaust is an internal anthropogenic source. Background pollution occurs in areas not directly affected by pollution sources.

Pollution law

Pollution law in British Columbia is divided among local, regional, provincial, federal and international jurisdictions, each with its own focus and perhaps overlapping concerns. Legislation can be enacted at any of these levels, either in concert or alone. Provincial environmental regulation is largely contained in BC's Environmental Management Act, which defines air pollution as follows:

"pollution" means the presence in the environment of substances or contaminants that substantially alter or impair the usefulness of the environment;

Federal pollution law is largely the result of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and its associated schedules. The act of scheduling a toxin under CEPA starts a process of elimination or virtual elimination from the Canadian environment. The National Pollutant Release Inventory indexes sources by pollutant and location. International law and treaties such as the Kyoto Accord further affect air pollution in BC. The precautionary principle embodied in international agreements is gaining recognition in Canada and BC as a guide to interpreting pollution law.

Within the province, various Regional Districts and municipalities have enacted laws to control pollution. There are also area-based plans to manage pollution along geographic lines that recognize airsheds instead of political boundaries. This system is especially relevant to BC because of its high topographical relief. The Environmental Management Act recognizes that airsheds exist and says that a manager under the Act "may give consideration" to them, but their full legal status is uncertain. Some existing plans have had a considerable effect, so there is reason to believe that new plans will too. The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has a specially mandated role to play in air pollution control.

British Columbia is a participant in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), including its processes for fine particulates and ground level ozone. Because BC has generally lower levels of pollution than the CEPA standards, the CI/KCAC (Continuous Improvement and Keeping Clean Areas Clean) component of the federal strategy is of special importance.

Health effects

The health effects of air pollution vary with the size and characteristics of the exposed population, the specific pollutant or mix of pollutants and the concentration of pollutants, both in the short term and the long term. Children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing health problems are known to be especially vulnerable.

Generally speaking, respiratory and cardiac effects are the most significant, but there is increasing evidence that air pollutants play a role in cancer and genetic mutations, some of which can be inherited. Cumulative and synergistic effects are hard to study: ethical concerns rule out some otherwise desirable experimental procedures, and multi-pollutant studies are complex and expensive, leaving these areas less well understood experimentally. Sometimes ecologic studies can contribute to our understanding of combined effects.

In the early 1990s the province commissioned Dr. Sverre Vedal, then a researcher at the University of British Columbia, to investigate air pollution in BC, and to assess and to rank its health impacts. His report concluded that particulate pollution was the gravest concern, estimating an annual toll of 82 deaths, among other consequences. As of late 2004, the province continues its long-term effort to control sources of particulates. The varying population and topography have given rise to different problems in different areas, necessitating differing approaches.

Other important air pollutants are oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, volatile organic compounds of various kinds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins and furans. Exposure and health effects of these vary by area and sometimes by season.

Recent air pollution research in Canada and other jurisdictions was summarized by Health Canada in October 2003 in its report Human Health Effects of Fine Particulate Matter, which has informed standards-setting deliberations of the CCME. Research in British Columbia has been ongoing since at least 1990. The BC Lung Association has commissioned work in this field, including a 2003 analysis by Dr. David Bates and others, Health and Air Quality 2002—Phase 1. The second phase of this report will deal with health effects of fine particulates in northern BC communities, where biomass combustion is arguably the most important source.

At the end of 2004, Perry Kendall, the Provincial Health Officer, released his annual report for 2003 titled Air Quality in British Columbia, A Public Health Perspective. It includes estimates of the health impact of air pollution in BC. He estimates that 71-110 deaths are attributable to air pollution. This figure excludes effects of indoor air pollution and environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

Clean air advocacy

Air pollution is often an emotional subject, and one of considerable interest to public health organizations. Advocacy groups are listed here with links to more information.

The BC Environmental Network is a coalition of over five hundred environmental organizations in BC, including many with an air quality focus.
The BC Lung Association is one of the oldest and most influential clean air advocacy groups in BC.
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
CHOKED is an air quality advocacy group in Smithers, a small town in northwestern BC. The group has participated in appeals before the province's Environmental Appeal Board of BC, notably in the case of beehive burner pollution.
Clean Air BC Coalition
Community members in and around Duncan, BC have expressed great concern around plans by Norske Canada to burn car tires (tire derived fuel) to generate energy in their Crofton pulp mill. The Crofton Airshed Citizen's Group has been active in criticizing this proposal and are now planning an independent study of the expected impacts.
Health Effects Institute
Reach For Unbleached is an organisation with a special interest in pulp mill pollution issues in BC. Of special interest is their publication, The Watershed Sentinel. Their office paper buying club uses consumer advocacy to bring about corporate environmental change. They also discuss their allegations that provincial monitoring misses pulp mill wastes.
The Sierra Legal Defence Fund is a non-profit law firm advocating for the environment. They advocate in several public interest areas, including air quality issues.
The Society Promoting Environmental Connservation has long been involved in air pollution issues in BC.
The David Suzuki Foundation focuses on climate change in its air quality work.
West Coast Environmental Law is another non-profit law firm with subject areas that include air quality litigation and briefs to the government. Their Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is an important vehicle for activists.