City Initiatives
Since poor air quality is not confined to municipal boundaries, it is important that city staff communicate with public sector staff from neighbouring municipalities to discuss joint initiatives that can be carried out. Implementing similar initiatives regionally has the benefit of increasing the impact that can be achieved. The Halton Partners for Clean Air and the GTA-Clean Air Council are two working groups that City of Burlington staff belong to and will be discussed in greater detail below.
In addition to the partnerships, staff also take measures to reduce the impact on poor air quality such as purchasing biodiesel fuel for some applications from May to September, driving hybrid vehicles and rightsizing vehicles, transportation demand management initiatives, installing more energy efficient lighting, etc. All these are initiatives are highlighted in the reports to city council section under the subheadings 'smog' for annual air reports or 'quarterly reports' for more generic updates. Staff are also working on longer term strategies for clean air including implementing an energy management plan and a green purchasing policy.
Halton Partners for Clean Air
In the Spring of 1999, a committee was formed to consider what actions might be taken to address the growing concerns regarding the health and environmental impacts of smog. The committee was represented by 12 members from the Region, the four area municipalities, the four hydro commissions, the local school boards and Conservation Halton.
In February 2000, Burlington adopted the Halton Public Sector Smog Response Plan. A City working group was formed to put the smog response plan into action. The City's Air Quality Initiatives Team meets on an as needed basis to review the success of the initiatives carried out by city staff and to talk about any changes that need to be made.
In 2003, the partners realized that in order for the partnership to continue its influence, leadership needed to go beyond the public sector to include the private and community sectors too. Membership expansion was approved in 2004.
In 2006 members of the public sector committee revised the Smog Response Plan. The original plan was reactionary and only came into effect when air quality was “poor.” The new Clean Air Plan was adopted by Burlington City Council in May 2006 (CORPSERV 5-06). The new plan offers not only tips to react to smog days but also tips that can be followed year round to minimize the impact on air quality.
Resources produced by the committee include:
- Smog Response Plan
- A 3-panel brochure to communicate smog issues with three inserts addressing anti-idling, healthy landscapes, and energy messages (no longer available online).
- Stickers with different messaging including "turn your computer off," "turn the lights off," "refuel before 9 or after 3," and "turn your engine off."
- "Air Quality and Your Child's Health" brochure.
- Clean Air Plan for the public, private and community sectors.
For more information about Halton Partners for Clean Air, please contact Beckie Jas, Environmental Health Specialist, Region of Halton 905-825-6000 x7678.
For more information about what the Region is doing to address air quality and the health impacts associated with its growth or to view two short videos and learn how saving energy is good for air quality, your health and the climate, please click here.
The GTA-Clean Air Council
The City of Burlington joined the GTA-Clean Air Council (GTA-CAC) in 2002. The GTA-CAC is an intergovernmental working group who promote the reduction of air pollution emissions across the GTA. Members of the GTA-CAC help contribute to the creation of the Intergovernmental Declaration on Clean Air that is signed annually at the Smog Summit in Toronto.