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Air Quality

Main office address:
625 Fisgard Street
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 1R7
tel: 250.360.3000

Air Quality Projects & Achievements

Air Quality Working Group (AQWG)

Projects & Achievements

Short-term Monitoring Plan

A short term monitoring plan was prepared for the Capital Regional District. Particulate matter and ground level ozone were identified as the priority contaminants for monitoring and assessment. Establishment of a minimum of four regional monitoring stations and sensors to continuously monitor the priority air contaminants was achieved.

Guidelines for Air Contaminants

CRD staff worked with the AQWG to develop guidelines for common air contaminants to use in the CRD for to clearly report on the air quality data collected in the CRD area. The guidelines were selected to be protective of or to have a small relative risk to human health.

A Tool for Assessment

The AQWG also assisted with the production of a tool to assess trends in air quality.  Trend analysis was conducted annually and included in the annual reports.

Emission Inventory

An emission inventory for 2004 for common air contaminants has been conducted for the Capital Region. This emission inventory reports on the quantities of common contaminants emitted in the Capital Regional District and the relative importance of the each source of contaminants.

Air Quality Monitoring Network Review

A network review was completed in 2008.  The report concluded that maintaining three core air quality monitoring stations would be sufficient to provide long term regional monitoring data for trend analysis and comparison to guidelines.  The report further recommended short term monitoring to address local concerns.