Oakville Council Unanimously Passes Air Quality Bylaw to Protect it's Citizens - First in Ontario!
For the first time in Ontario, a city has passed an 'air quality bylaw' to protect it's citizens from fine particulate matter floating in the air.
Oakville councillors unanimously voted to pass an air quality bylaw on February 1, 2010.
Airborne particulate matter that is less than 2.5 microns in size is 
what the city is concerned with. Using Oakville's levels for PM (fine particualte matter), the Illness Cost of Air Pollution Model indicates that Oakville will have 80 premature deaths which can be attributed to airborne PM of 2.5.
By reducing the PM concentration by even one microgram, Oakville can save 8 lives annually.
By collecting emissions information from businesses, industries and residences in the city, Oakville will be able to determine if the entity is a 'major emitter' or not. From there the entity will have to go through an approval process.
The city will reserve the right to approve a major emitter depending on whether or not it is in the best interest of the citizens to do so.
Oakville's air quality bylaw will be put into effect over a 6 month or a 12 month period for existing entities. The time period is based on whether or not the facility has a provincial Certificate of Approval for air.
Facilities not yet built are expected to adhere to the bylaw immediately upon their completion.
This bylaw will benefit the citizens of Oakville greatly and bring a reduction to the particulate matter emitted by industrial and residential facilities. PM emitted by vehicles will be harder to control since it is not localized to the city itself.
Being the first municipality in Ontario to pass an 'air quality bylaw', Oakville has set a standard for protection of it's citizens.
©2010JoSmith
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