According to the World…

According to the World Health Organization, six major air pollutants include particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. Long and short-term exposure to air suspended toxicants has a different toxicological impact on humans including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric complications, the eyes irritation, skin diseases, and long-term chronic diseases such as cancer.

Research has revealed the direct association between exposure to the poor air quality and increasing rate of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Air pollution is also considered as the major environmental risk factor in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight.

In 2016 Cancer Care Ontario reported that Hamilton had scored low at preventing cancer in a number of key areas. "Downtown Hamilton has the highest rate of air pollution in the province," said Alice Peter, director of population health and prevention at Cancer Care Ontario. (Hamilton Spectator, Oct. 20, 2016)

I, like many other residents in Hamilton, welcome the introduction of the new policy for Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) in air approvals to more effectively consider cumulative impacts from multiple air pollution sources - both industrial and non-industrial. It is high time we seriously addressed this problem in our city.

While the proposed new policy applies to air emissions of benzene and benzo[a]pyrene (closely associated with cancer), in the Hamilton/Burlington area, however, focussing on these substances alone is not enough. There need to be firm timelines for adding other substances to the list.

The policy only applies to new or expanding facilities; this is not good enough in Hamilton where we have existing facilities that are currently contributing signification emissions.

There should be prohibitions on approvals of new facilities when the levels of a pollutant in a community are greater than 100x the ambient air quality criterion (AAQC).

The policy should also consider non-routine sources of air pollution such as flaring.

The policy should be based on a range of information sources, including all monitoring data, emissions information, and community concerns, and improve and expand air monitoring networks in areas such as Chemical Valley and Hamilton;

There is a need to establish a legally binding, transparent approach for expanding the policy to consider cumulative effects in all Ontario communities, with priority being placed upon other communities with significant levels of industrial air pollution.

[Original Comment ID: 212387]