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Original News Release

 

 

BACKGROUNDER

 

2003WLAP0041-000547

June 6, 2003

Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection

     

 

COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PROJECTS

 

Vancouver Island/Coast Region

  • $10,000 – Capital Regional District: Supporting air-quality-planning activities in the district.

 

Mainland/Southwest Region

  • $40,000 – Greater Vancouver Regional District/Joint Air Quality Management Projects: Partnership funding for three separate studies with a total value of approximately $250,000. These include a roadside air quality-health impacts study by UBC’s Dr. Michael Brauer, a GVRD Heavy Duty Vehicle Alternate Fuel Study and an ISOPART modelling study by Dr. Sara Pryor at Indiana University.
  • $22,000 – UBC/Sea-to-Sky Airshed Study: Support for three separate scientific studies to better characterize air quality in the Sea-to-Sky airshed and help the ministry better evaluate the potential for ozone transport from the lower Fraser Valley to the Sea-to-Sky airshed.
  • $10,000 –Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative Visibility Impacts Study: Assessing the visibility impacts of air pollution in the Sea-to-Sky airshed, which stretches from West Vancouver to Pemberton and includes Whistler.
  • $10,000 – Lower Fraser Valley Air Quality Advisory Committee: Funding a portion of the annual operating costs of the committee, a multi-stakeholder group that plays a key role in air-quality-management planning in the lower Fraser Valley airshed.
  • $5,000 – Poultry Farm Industry/Poultry Farming Air Quality Study: Funding to investigate the potential for improving air quality, particularly dust and odour levels, around poultry farms in the lower Fraser Valley.

 

Thompson – Okanagan Region

  • $15,000 – Central Okanagan Air Quality Committee: Supporting airshed plan development in the Central Okanagan.
  • $13,000 – Southern Interior Air Quality Display: Developing display materials about air quality in the Okanagan for use in public forums.
  • $5,000 – Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen: Supporting airshed plan development in the South Okanagan.
  • $5,000 – City of Kamloops: Supporting airshed plan development in the City of Kamloops.

 

Kootenay Region

  • $10,000 – Nelson Clean Air Protection Committee: Supporting airshed plan development in the Nelson airshed by initially focusing on a public-awareness campaign and partnership building.

Cariboo Region

  • $17,000 – Air Quality Background Report for Williams Lake: Developing a single, comprehensive document for the Williams Lake airshed.
  • $15,000 – Prince George Air Quality Implementation Committee: Supporting a cleaner-burning-woodstove upgrade program, public education on wood burning and consultation with the public and businesses on new open burning restrictions under the local Clean Air Bylaw.

 

Northern BC Region

  • $37,000 – Bulkley Valley Airshed Committee Development: Working with the co-ordinating committee to develop four community groups, a regional working group and a background document to open up the planning process creating the final airshed plan.
  • $25,000 – Bulkley Valley-Lakes District/Kamloops Meteorological Modelling: Developing approximately two years of modelled meteorological data for the Bulkley Valley-Lakes District and Kamloops airsheds, to be used as input for the dispersion model for airshed-management purposes.
  • $14,000 – Bulkley Valley Emission Inventory Recommendations (contract): Developing options and recommendations in the collection of accurate and up-to-date emissions inventory for fine particulates specific to the Bulkley Valley-Lakes District airshed.
  • $10,000 – District of Vanderhoof/Vanderhoof Community Monitoring Study: Funding for the monitoring of fine particulate within the community airshed for a period of two years.

 

PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS

 

  • $15,000 – Guide to Airshed Planning: Developing a guide to airshed planning for local government.
  • $15,000 – B.C. Lung Association: Supporting community-based clean air awareness initiatives in partnership with local government, non-government organizations and other agencies.
  • $10,000 – Better Environmentally Sound Transportation: Supporting community-based clean air awareness initiatives in partnership with local government, non-government organizations and other agencies.
  • $10,000 – Wood Energy Technicians of British Columbia/Burn it Smart Workshops:Funding for the delivery of 14 Burn it Smart! public awareness workshops in the heartlands.
  • $10,000 – BC Transit: Supporting community-based clean air awareness initiatives in partnership with local government, non-government organizations and other agencies.

 

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Visit the province's Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ for online information and services.

 

Media

contact:

Liz Bicknell

Communications Director

250 387-9973