Air Quality Management Plan

Why do we monitor the air?  Because we care about the health of the residents in our region.  Most days, air quality in the CRAZ region is good. However, we do have air quality issues that require management. We have a plan to manage the air quality within CRAZ.

Alberta is part of a national *Air Quality Management System*. It is a collaborative approach to reduce air pollution in Canada, contributing to improved human and environmental health. This system uses the *Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS)* as objectives for air quality management across the country. In Alberta, CAAQS are implemented through Air Quality Management Frameworks under regional land use plans.

The Calgary Region Airshed Zone (CRAZ) is a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder plan outlining the Objectives for air quality management in the CRAZ Region as well as the Strategies and Actions required to achieve the Objectives.

Air Quality emissions standards will become more stringent in coming years and it will be challenging for Alberta’s air zones and Canada as a whole to meet the standards. If we want to keep our air quality good, we can’t take it for granted. The CRAZ Air Quality Management Plan helps to ensure that we’re doing what we can to manage air quality today and provides CRAZ stakeholders with guidance for working together to manage air quality into the future. ). Learn more about the pollutants being managed *here*.

History

In 2008, CRAZ in partnership with Alberta Environment, and other regional stakeholders, led the development and implementation of the CRAZ Particulate Matter and Ozone Management Plan when air quality levels at the Calgary air monitoring stations triggered the national standards for ozone. Ozone is a pollutant linked to adverse human health and environmental effects. Particulate matter (PM2.5) was also proactively included in the plan as PM2.5 is a pollutant of particular concern because it is linked to a variety of cardiac and respiratory diseases, and affects plant, soil and water health.

Over time, air quality continued to trigger the need for management at the Calgary stations and the plan was subsequently updated in 2014 and 2019 to ensure its continued relevance for air quality management in the CRAZ Region. The plan was rebranded in 2019 as the CRAZ Air Quality Management Plan and now addresses the full suite of CAAQS reporting pollutants (fine particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide). Learn more about the pollutants being managed *here*.

Join Us !– How to Get Involved

The Air Quality Management Planning (AQMP) committee is a group of CRAZ stakeholders that work together to manage the AQM Plan and create strategies working towards a region with improved air quality. This committee is responsible for the review and reporting of the CRAZ Air Quality Management Plan by assessing the status and achievement of the deliverables. The committee ensures stakeholders are effectively and efficiently working on the tasks assigned to them.

Reviews take place approximately every 3-5 years. The most recent AQMP Achievement Report was completed in 2018, reporting on the status of plan implementation (*2018 AQMP Achievement Report*).

Several studies and projects were commissioned under the AQMP to inform and aid in plan implementation. A library of the historic project reports is available here.

*Library*
*CRAZ Public Awareness Strategy – Cohen and Wolfe, 2015*

PM2.5

WHAT IS FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5) AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Fine particulate matter are tiny airborne particles, about 1/20th the width of a human hair. Particulate matter can be either directly emitted to the air (dust from unpaved roads or construction, agriculture wild fire, combustion activities etc.) or caused by chemical reactions of other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds (vehicle emissions, home heating etc.). Forest fires can also be a source of fine particulate matter.

Most of the time our climate and geography allows this pollution to be distributed at low levels over a wide area. However, on cold winter days when we experience persistent temperature inversions, it’s like putting a lid on the pollution: it gets trapped. This can result in levels of fine particulate matter that exceed national standards.

WHY IS FINE PARTICULATE MATTER A CONCERN?

These particles are so small that they can get deep into lungs, which can:

  • Irritate the respiratory system;
  • Compromise oxygen exchange;
  • Transfer toxic compounds into the bloodstream.

Fine particulate matter is recognized as a health and environmental concern by Health Canada and World Health Organization

OZONE

WHAT IS OZONE AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Ozone (O3) is a colourless gas. In the earth’s atmosphere, ozone plays an important role in shielding the earth from harmful rays from the sun. However, at ground level it is primarily a human produced pollutant which contributes to the creation of smog. Ground level ozone is created when other pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of heat and sunlight under stagnant weather conditions. Nitrogen oxides are produced by combustion from vehicles, trains, gas burning lawn and farm equipment and home heating, as well as from industrial sources such as oil and gas, and power plants. VOCs can come from petroleum and chemical industries, vehicle emissions, fireplaces, natural gas emissions and aircraft traffic.

WHY IS OZONE A CONCERN?

Ground level ozone at high concentrations has detrimental effects on human and animal health, and the environment. It can:

  • Reduce lung function, cause chest tightness, coughing or wheezing;
  • Aggravate existing respiratory illness, and irritate eyes, nose and throat;
  • Chronic exposure can cause permanent damage to the alveoli of the lungs;
  • Reduce crop yields and plant growth, and contribute to noticeable leaf damage.

Nitrogen Dioxide

WHAT IS NITROGEN DIOXIDE AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Nitrogen Dioxde (NO2) is a reddish-brown gas with an irritating odour. Nitrogen dioxide occurs naturally in the environment due to forest fires, lightning and biogenic processes. Anthropogenic emissions of NO2 are mainly the result of combustion processes, such as the combustion of fuel for vehicles or the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas for heating and commercial and industrial processes.

Nitrogen dioxide can be directly released to air but more often, it is produced by the conversion of nitric oxide released from combustion processes. NO2 also plays a major role in atmospheric reactions that produce ground-level ozone, a major component of smog. It is also a precursor to nitrates, which contribute to increased particulate matter in the atmosphere.

WHY IS NITROGEN DIOXIDE A CONCERN?

Nitrogen dioxide at high concentrations has detrimental effects on human and animal health, and the environment. It can:

  • Inflame the airway;
  • Aggravate existing respiratory illness, and irritate eyes, nose and throat;
  • Reduce crop yields and plant growth, and contribute to noticeable leaf damage
  • Increased drought susceptibility; decreased plant growth; increased susceptibility to insect attack.

Sulphur Dioxide

WHAT IS SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas with a sharp, pungent odour. Sulphur dixodie occurs naturally in the environment due to volcanoes, decaying organic matter and solar action on seawater. Anthropogenic emissions of SO2 are mainly the result of fossil fuel combustion, petroleum refining, and smelting sulphide ores. Sulphur dioxide is also used in the pulp and paper industry; as a food preservation agent; as a disinfectant; and as a solvent.

WHY IS SULPHUR DIOXIDE A CONCERN?

Sulphur dioxide at high concentrations has detrimental effects on human and animal health, and the environment. It can:

  • increase airway resistance and bronchoconstriction, decrease maximum expiratory flow and decrease pulmonary function;
  • aggravate existing respiratory illness, and irritate eyes, nose and throat;
  • contribute to noticeable leaf damage in plants;
  • negatively impact plant metabolism.

WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT?

WHAT CAN WE DO?

  • Conserve Energy. By reducing your demand on the power generating stations you will help reduce the amount of NO2
  • Reduce vehicle use and the use of less-efficient vehicles.
  • Consider finding alternative forms of transportation (eg: walking, biking, public transit, car pooling) or plan your outings in order to minimize your overall travel distance.
  • Do not allow your vehicle to idle for long periods (eg: car starters).
  • Support alternative fuels. Utilizing ‘Greenpower’, like wind, and solar power will reduce the amount of NO2 being generated.
  • Properly insulate your house
  • Apply dust suppressants to aid in the control of fugitive dust
  • Conserve energy. Use ‘muscle power’ rather than fuel powered machines (eg: use rake rather than lawn blower)
  • Recycle Paper. A source of SO2 is pulp and paper mills, by recycling your paper, you can help save the environment as recycling processes are far less detrimental to the environment. However, reducing and reusing your paper is even more environmentally friendly.
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