The sources of the pollution that tipped the Red Deer region’s air quality past allowable standards remains unknown.
Parkland Airshed Management Zone’s (PAMZ) executive director Kevin Warren said further monitoring is necessary to identify the sources of the fine particulate matter that exceeded Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards between 2011-13.
“We know that the numbers say that we have exceeded these objectives,” said Warren on Thursday. “But what we don’t know definitively is what are the sources that are contributing to that.”
Warren said it did not come as a surprise that the index showed air quality problems. Monitoring in the 2010-2011 winter indicated higher-than-usual levels of pollution during a severe cold snap with no wind or precipitation that settled over the area and trapped pollution.
Four other regions in Alberta — there are six in all — were close to exceeding particulate matter standards, according to the pollution index released on Wednesday. Ozone levels were also high, although below accepted standards, across the province.
Warren said of most concern is what is known as secondary particulate matter, which is formed into toxics from the reaction of gases and other compounds in the atmosphere.
“When they do get deep into your lungs they actually get transferred into your bloodstream. That’s why we’re concerned about the health aspect of it.”
Fine particulate matter is believed to be linked to a number of respiratory illnesses, cancer, birth defects and other ailments.
Vehicles, home heating, chemical manufacturers, oil and gas industries all contribute.
“What we need to do is to do some more specialized monitoring to characterize those emissions.
“Right now, all of the monitoring we’ve done is (to measure) how much is in the air. But we need to know what is in that (fine particulate matter).”
That will allow experts to trace it to its sources.
“Then you can intelligently go about reducing emissions,” he said. “You can put a lot of effort and dollars into controlling emissions, but if you’re not controlling the source emissions you’re not getting very far.”
Without being able to identify sources, it will be difficult to convince polluters to make the long-term, and sometimes expensive, changes necessary.
PAMZ will be working on that piece of the puzzle in coming months.
Meanwhile, a draft plan to address air quality is nearing completion. It is expected to provide recommendations to improve air quality in the region.
Besides PAMZ, the City of Red Deer has been aware of the air quality issue for the last couple of years and has identified it in its Environmental Master Plan, said Nancy Hackett, environmental initiatives supervisor.
The city joined a provincial advisory committee for the Red Deer region last November and has been contributing to the soon-to-be-released draft plan.
A number of other initiatives have already been undertaken by the city, including its idle-free program, as well as energy conservation and transit promotion efforts.
City council also supported a resolution last year to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association supporting mandatory emissions testing for older vehicles. The resolution did not pass however.
Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips said on Wednesday that addressing air quality issues in the province, and particularly Red Deer region, was a priority of her government.
Warren is pleased to see that the government intends to take action and has a more aggressive stance on climate change and emissions reductions than previous governments.
“That’s refreshing and that’s where we need to go, for sure.”
PAMZ is a non-profit society to monitor air quality and manage air quality issues in the Parkland region.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com