Prince George's air quality advocacy group named pediatrician Marie Hay as its new president at its annual general meeting Wednesday evening.
Hay replaces outgoing president Dave Fuller.
Hay said she believes there are a number of areas that the People's Action Committee for Healthy Air needs to focus on in the next term.
Firstly, it needs to determine if there is formaldehyde in the air or not with as many tests in as many places as the advocacy group can afford, said Hay.
Resident of the Millar Addition, where Hay lives, sounded a public outcry after they learned last month that odour test results from the summer of 2008 had showed significantly high results. There was some debate about whether the tests were accurate or when the analysis was completed. However, the province is moving ahead with further testing. PACHA has also purchased a hand-held formaldehyde testing unit.
Hay also said that work is also needed to ensure that there is no more industrial development in the bowl that will contribute to air pollution, which includes downtown biomass energy plants and the increased traffic these type of plants would bring. The city stepped back from plans for a wood-burning energy plant downtown in 2008 after a public outcry, but plans for the plant remain on its books.
For more, see Thursday's Citizen.
