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Anti-idling initiatives target driver habits |
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Written by GORDON HOEKSTRA
Citizen staff
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Tuesday, 13 May 2008 |
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CITYLOWER MAINLANDMELLISSA WINFIELD-LESKWINFIELD-LESKHEALTHY AIRPEOPLE ACTION COMMITTEEPRINCE GEORGEEASTERN CANADA
Prince George is getting an anti-idling ambassador this summer, a position aimed at putting the spotlight on halting needless idling of vehicles.
The work, being funded by the city and the provincial government, will include identifying idling hotspots in the community through surveys. "We'll be looking at drive-thrus, school-bus zones, idling at stop lights, construction zones, even doing some documentation of locomotive idling," said Mellissa Winfield-Lesk, the chair of the Prince George Air Quality Implementation Committee.
The committee is tasked with carrying out the city's airshed management plan, an effort meant to improve air quality in the city where fine particulate is considered the leading air pollutant. Fine particulates, essentially fine particles of dust and ash, are considered a health hazard because the microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. They have been linked to respiratory and heart diseases, as well as asthma.
Winfield-Lesk, a senior official with the provincial environment ministry in Prince George, said the idea is to create some more idle-free zones.
The City of Prince George has already designated a number of idle-free zones on its properties.
Secondly, the anti-idling ambassador, Charlea Mitchell, is meant to help develop some educational materials using the results of the idling survey, but also utilizing data on the fuel costs of idling and the reduction in air pollutants.
A couple of air-care emission testing clinics will also be held during the summer as part of the anti-idling initiative. In B.C., the Lower Mainland is the only area where air-care emission testing is mandatory.
At the same time, work will continue on encouraging the city and the regional district to adopt an anti-idling bylaw, said Winfield-Lesk.
Typically, the bylaws include exceptions for cold temperatures, emergency vehicles, seniors and women with children, she said.
Winfield-Lesk said she is unaware of any bylaw -- most have been adopted in Eastern Canada -- that include drive-thrus. "We're not saying a complete ban on drive-thrus, but perhaps just some better management around that. Maybe they could shut down for certain periods of the day," she said.
UNBC environmental scientist Peter Jackson said he didn't have any specific data on the contribution of idling to air pollutants in airsheds, but he believed idling can contribute quite a considerable amount. "Cars don't operate that efficiently when they are idling, so they generate a lot of particulate matter," said Jackson, who chaired the recently-completed mayor's task force on air quality.
Recently, a new study commissioned by the air quality implementation committee found that pulp mill emissions, mobile sources and wood burning are the major contributors to the smallest fine particulates measured downtown.
The study's findings differ from previous research, as it turns the focus away from road dust, and also puts the first parameters around mobile sources, which include diesel trucks and locomotives, as well as gasoline cars and trucks. It also points the finger at wood-burning appliances as a contributor to poor air quality downtown.
The People's Action Committee for Healthy Air has also called for a clampdown on idling motorists. The Prince George-based group, which has more than 1,000 members, has also called for a more stringent standards for industrial polluters.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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