Cumberland BC: The Cumberlander Articles Section
Uncategorized · 9th February 2008
Editor, with permission.
Who’s monitoring air quality in our Valley?
Editor's Note: Originally published in the Comox Valley Record, Feb.8, 2008. See also my earlier article titled TimberWest Slash & Burn posted Nov.27, 2007.
The Comox Valley is one of the most rapid-growth areas on Vancouver Island, with a current population in excess of 60,000. It has become one of Canada’s prime areas for retirement, mainly due to its beauty, weather and quality of life.
Yet, all is not perfect. One would expect in our relatively pristine environment to have abundant clean air and water. While our water is routinely being assessed for its quality, in fact, no one in the government is measuring our air quality!
Burning brush and debris from land clearing (slash burning) is controlled and generally prohibited in the summer months (May-October) to protect us from forest fires. In some of our municipalities such as Comox, laws exist which prevent burning brush year-round.
Conversely, from October to April, on a clear day, all one has to do is look across Comox Harbour and see the multiple fires burning non-stop on the horizon (photo).
I wanted to investigate whether or not this extensive burning was of any danger to my family and to other residents, as many of us are senior citizens. To my surprise, no one seemed to be able to provide reasonable answers to questions that I asked.
Clearly, open burning — whether slash burning or backyard burning — emits particles into the air. Without any scientific data, I would venture that if you can smell it, and if you can see it, then there are particles in the air. Can they have an adverse affect on our health?
The answer is clearly yes, but to know for sure, there must be air particle measurements over time. Recently, the Heart and Stroke Foundation issued its annual report highlighting the serious threat that air pollution poses to the cardiovascular health of Canadians. This concerns me as a senior and I would venture to guess that it would concern many others in the Valley.
Who are making these important air quality measurements in the Valley?
Beginning in November, I along with a small group, attempted to get some answers to that question. Information obtained from the Comox Weather Office was that no air quality measurements were being made in the Valley and that each municipality and the region could issue burning permits.
A representative from the district indicated that he did not know who issued permits for the burning directly south and around Courtenay. The representative implied that burning could go on from October to April.
We, through our own investigations, learned that the Ministry of Forestry issued the permits. When we attempted to find out who the permits were issued to, we were told that a formal request had to be made, so we approached our local MLA’s office. His office contacted the Ministry of Forestry and indicated that a representative would call me. This was in mid-December. To date no one has called. I contacted our MLA’s office again, another call was made to the ministry and I was assured that a call would be forthcoming. That was two weeks ago! If burning is going to be allowed and this information is not being made public, then who is responsible for ensuring the public safety?
A representative from the Ministry of the Environment informed me that air particle measurements were routinely being made in Campbell River and in Nanaimo. The representative also indicated that the ministry was aware of the issues in the Comox Valley, and that the Valley was targeted for air particle measurements in the future, but could not specify when. When asked the cost of the equipment for monitoring, it ranged from about $50,000 to $10,000. The representative also indicated that a mobile unit existed in Nanaimo but was committed for this winter and not available for the Comox Valley.
No matter what your views on open burning are, I believe that most of the residents of the Comox Valley would like to know if our air quality is safe. Unfortunately, unless measurements are routinely being made, no one can answer that question.
Yet for a relatively small expenditure of government funds, one could provide routine measurements which would ensure the citizens of the Valley that the air we breathe is not a health concern. These measurements could also be used to make decisions on burning and the issuing of burning permits.
I would argue that if a few individuals were affected adversely, the cost to our health system would far exceed the small expenditure needed to establish air quality monitoring in the Comox Valley.
If this situation concerns you, please contact your elected officials.
Paul A. Horgen, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the department of biology and a past director in the master of biotechnology program at the University of Toronto at Mississauga.
Editor's Note: Originally published in the Comox Valley Record, Feb.8, 2008. See also my earlier article titled TimberWest Slash & Burn posted Nov.27, 2007.
The Comox Valley is one of the most rapid-growth areas on Vancouver Island, with a current population in excess of 60,000. It has become one of Canada’s prime areas for retirement, mainly due to its beauty, weather and quality of life.
Yet, all is not perfect. One would expect in our relatively pristine environment to have abundant clean air and water. While our water is routinely being assessed for its quality, in fact, no one in the government is measuring our air quality!
Burning brush and debris from land clearing (slash burning) is controlled and generally prohibited in the summer months (May-October) to protect us from forest fires. In some of our municipalities such as Comox, laws exist which prevent burning brush year-round.
Conversely, from October to April, on a clear day, all one has to do is look across Comox Harbour and see the multiple fires burning non-stop on the horizon (photo).
I wanted to investigate whether or not this extensive burning was of any danger to my family and to other residents, as many of us are senior citizens. To my surprise, no one seemed to be able to provide reasonable answers to questions that I asked.
Clearly, open burning — whether slash burning or backyard burning — emits particles into the air. Without any scientific data, I would venture that if you can smell it, and if you can see it, then there are particles in the air. Can they have an adverse affect on our health?
The answer is clearly yes, but to know for sure, there must be air particle measurements over time. Recently, the Heart and Stroke Foundation issued its annual report highlighting the serious threat that air pollution poses to the cardiovascular health of Canadians. This concerns me as a senior and I would venture to guess that it would concern many others in the Valley.
Who are making these important air quality measurements in the Valley?
Beginning in November, I along with a small group, attempted to get some answers to that question. Information obtained from the Comox Weather Office was that no air quality measurements were being made in the Valley and that each municipality and the region could issue burning permits.
A representative from the district indicated that he did not know who issued permits for the burning directly south and around Courtenay. The representative implied that burning could go on from October to April.
We, through our own investigations, learned that the Ministry of Forestry issued the permits. When we attempted to find out who the permits were issued to, we were told that a formal request had to be made, so we approached our local MLA’s office. His office contacted the Ministry of Forestry and indicated that a representative would call me. This was in mid-December. To date no one has called. I contacted our MLA’s office again, another call was made to the ministry and I was assured that a call would be forthcoming. That was two weeks ago! If burning is going to be allowed and this information is not being made public, then who is responsible for ensuring the public safety?
A representative from the Ministry of the Environment informed me that air particle measurements were routinely being made in Campbell River and in Nanaimo. The representative also indicated that the ministry was aware of the issues in the Comox Valley, and that the Valley was targeted for air particle measurements in the future, but could not specify when. When asked the cost of the equipment for monitoring, it ranged from about $50,000 to $10,000. The representative also indicated that a mobile unit existed in Nanaimo but was committed for this winter and not available for the Comox Valley.
No matter what your views on open burning are, I believe that most of the residents of the Comox Valley would like to know if our air quality is safe. Unfortunately, unless measurements are routinely being made, no one can answer that question.
Yet for a relatively small expenditure of government funds, one could provide routine measurements which would ensure the citizens of the Valley that the air we breathe is not a health concern. These measurements could also be used to make decisions on burning and the issuing of burning permits.
I would argue that if a few individuals were affected adversely, the cost to our health system would far exceed the small expenditure needed to establish air quality monitoring in the Comox Valley.
If this situation concerns you, please contact your elected officials.
Paul A. Horgen, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the department of biology and a past director in the master of biotechnology program at the University of Toronto at Mississauga.