Cranbrook In Danger of Losing Clean Air Monitoring Program

Cranbrook could be at risk of losing its community air quality monitoring program, Wildsight and East Kootenay Citizens for Clean Air fear.

Recent Ministry-wide budget cuts may mean that some Kootenay communities will lose their Ministry-funded air quality monitoring equipment and programming unless the communities are able to contribute some local funding.

This could be a significant concern for a growing commercial centre like Cranbrook whose residents can experience less than optimal air quality as a result of area emissions getting concentrated in the valley by prevailing meteorological conditions.

To compare, Cranbrook’s air-borne particulate levels are not far behind those of Prince George, a community with four times the population and industry of Cranbrook, and which is considered to be a serious air quality hotspot in the province.

Air quality monitoring enables a community to track its air quality, identify seasonal trends, and flag any improvement or degradation of air quality over time.  This is important because of the health risks caused by air pollution.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, short- and long-term exposure to air pollution are estimated to have resulted in 21,000 premature deaths in Canada in 2008 as well as 11,000 hospital admissions.  Heart attacks, heart failure and stroke make up an estimated 42% to 69% of deaths and 60% of the hospital admissions linked to poor air quality.

Because of the importance of clean air to local quality of life and health, representatives from Wildsight and East Kootenay Citizens for Clean Air will be working on identifying solutions to keep Cranbrook’s air quality monitor off the Ministry’s chopping block, thereby helping area residents to breathe easy.

For more information:

Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook - Ingrid Liepa @ (250) 427-2535
East Kootenay Citizens for Clean Air - Sharon Cross @ (250) 489-4412