Mayor's Report - March 2009

Metro Vancouver maintains and operates a network of 27 long-term air quality monitoring stations in the Lower Fraser Valley airshed, in partnership with the Fraser Valley Regional District, the federal government, and a number of industrial partners who contribute funding for some of the stations. The network of permanent monitoring stations is complemented by a mobile air monitoring unit (MAMU), and other portable instruments that can be deployed for special air quality monitoring studies. (Metro Vancouver's permanent air quality monitoring stations network map.)

At the February meeting of Energy and Environment Committee, Metro Vancouver staff reported on initiatives underway to update the air quality monitoring network for the region. The changes include the stations at Second Narrows in North Vancouver (T6) and at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver (T35), which have been reclassified as special study sites and will be considered for retirement following their respective special studies (more below), and a new air quality station in Tsawwassen as part of the environmental assessment process for the Deltaport Third Berth Project.

A core set of permanent “Super Sites” also will be established at five existing stations distributed throughout the Lower Fraser Valley. These stations, as the name implies, are fully instrumented for meteorological, air quality, and visibility measurements. These stations will be capable of detailed speciation (to determine the chemical constituents of VOCs and PM) and can conduct source apportionment studies to help identify the sources that are contributing to air quality levels. Implementation of these “Super Sites” will require some minor re-distribution of monitors from other existing sites, as well as the deployment of new elemental, or “black”, carbon monitors acquired in 2008. “Super Sites” are proposed for Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Moody, Abbotsford and Chilliwack. A future station in Surrey may be considered as an additional “Super Site”.

In addition to the permanent monitoring program, Metro Vancouver conducts special air quality studies to:

The Burrard Inlet Area Local Air Quality Study (BIALAQS) is the first in a series of neighbourhood or “local” air quality studies under the 2005 Air Quality Management Plan for Metro Vancouver.

Why is Metro Vancouver studying air quality in the Burrard Inlet area?
There are many air emission sources within the Burrard Inlet area including automobiles, buses, heavy construction equipment, industrial sources, locomotives, marine vessels, port operations, sea buses, small aircraft, and space heating. Metro Vancouver is conducting this study to determine how air quality varies within the Burrard Inlet area, and to assess whether the levels of air pollutants are higher in this area than other locations in Metro Vancouver.

Many of the emission sources in the Burrard Inlet area run on fossil fuels which, when burned, create a variety of air pollutants, including particles that are so small (PM_2.5) they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs. These particles can aggravate asthma, increase respiratory or cardiovascular hospitalizations, and in some studies have been linked to cancer and premature death.

A large number of people live relatively close to the emission sources within the Burrard Inlet area. According to the 2006 Canada Census, a relatively high percentage of elderly persons live within the Burrard Inlet area, and this group is often more sensitive to the effects of air pollution.

What will the study involve?
Over the 2008–2009 period, Metro Vancouver air quality staff will:

It will be interesting to see the results of this study once they are available in the second half of 2010.

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