Canada-Wide Standards for Particulate Matter and Ground-level Ozone: A Shared Approach to Managing Air Quality in Canada
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Authors
Thomas, Karen
Date
2008
Type
working paper
Language
en
Keyword
Public Health 2008
Alternative Title
Abstract
Air quality is a growing public health concern in Canada. An increasing number of smog days and rising levels of health-related incidents (e.g., asthma) has focused public attention on this issue. Impacts on vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, are of particular concern. That is why, in the 2001 Speech from the Throne, clean air was recognized as a priority for the Government of Canada. Of particular interest to public health has been the impact of particulate matter and ground-level ozone as these are the primary pollutants in smog. Protecting the environment and human health from these substances necessarily requires coordination of activities across orders of governments. Since air pollution does not respect political boundaries, failure to address air safety by one jurisdiction could necessarily undermine the efforts of adjacent jurisdictions which receive downstream air currents from neighbouring regions. The recent political turmoil over the proposed national Clean Air Act demonstrates both the rising public interest in this issue and the sensitivity and diverging interests surrounding air policy management in Canada. However, before the idea of a national act was introduced, there was recognition of the need to have a more integrated approach to dealing with air pollution and its impacts on public health.
Description
© IIGR, 2008
Citation
Publisher
Queen's University Institute of Intergovernmental Relations