June 8, 2011: View an hour-by-hour forecast of smoke from wildfires in Western Canada for up to 48 hours in the future. Different exposure levels of smoke are provided in colours that correspond to different concentrations of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter).
The purpose of these calendars is to raise awareness of environmental health issues in British Columbia.
A limited number of calendars are still available free of charge. If you or your organization would like one (or more) calendars, contact bcairquality@gov.bc.ca.
June 8, 2011: Wednesday June 8 was Clean Air Day. Explore the Clean Air Day section of our website to find out about events in B.C. and Canada, posters, and how to "Make Clean Air Your Choice!" all year long.
The Green Protector, one of B.C.'s Clean Air Crusaders
The BC Lung Association has released its sixth annual BC State of the Air Report. The report provides a snapshot of current air quality across the province, information about pollutants of greatest concern from a human health perspective, and the various actions underway in BC to address these issues.
The AQHI is a scale to help you understand what the air quality around you means to your health. It is updated hourly to show the current air quality, along with forecasted values for today, tonight and tomorrow. The current AQHI is available immediately for both communities, along with forecasts for WestShore. AQHI forecasts for Squamish will be added in late 2011.
Visit What's the Air Like Today? to view the AQHI and other air quality readings,
or visit our Air Quality Health Index page to learn more about the AQHI.
This article appears in the January 2011 issue of EM Magazine, a publication of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA; www.awma.org). To obtain copies and reprints, please contact A&WMA directly at 1-412-232-3444.
British Columbia’s Experience with and Plans for Outdoor Wood Boilers. (PDF: 199 KB/3 pages)
The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport and the Ministry of Environment are reviewing and revising the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation under the Environmental Management Act. This regulation establishes the conditions under which the open burning of vegetative debris can be authorized.
The revised regulation is intended to reduce or minimize the impacts of smoke on human health. Other objectives include enabling and encouraging compliance, minimizing undue costs, and promoting equity and consistency. For more information, including the policy intentions paper on which the ministries are seeking comment, see Proposed Changes to the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation.
The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport intends to establish a provincial framework to guide the development of air quality objectives. The deadline has now passed for submission of comments on the proposed Provincial Framework for Air Quality Objectives. For more information, see Proposed Provincial Framework for the Development of Ambient Air Quality Objectives.
Air quality agencies in British Columbia have launched Clear Air BC, an initiative aimed at improving visibility across the province. It includes:
The partners in Clear Air BC are the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, Metro Vancouver, Environment Canada and the Fraser Valley Regional District.
For more information, read the media release and visit the Clear Air BC website.
The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport and the Ministry of Environment are reviewing and revising the Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliance Regulation. For more information, and to view the ministries’ policy intentions paper, see Proposed Changes to the Solid Fuel Burning Domestic Appliance Regulation.
Compare the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from different commuting options in a new series of graphs.
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