Weaving Air & Climate into the Land Use Planning Process

Presentation to EEAC Kim Perrotta, Senior Health & Environment Advisor Halton Region Health Department June 10, 2009

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On-going Health Initiatives re: Air & Climate • Smog Alert & Response Plan • Extreme Heat & Cold Alerts • Halton Partners for Clean Air

– Voluntary Halton Clean Air Plan

• GTA Clean Air Council – Annual Smog Summit – 20/20 Way to Clean Air

• AQHI Pilot Roll out • WalkOn Program

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New Health Program Elements Re: Land Use Planning Process

1. Participating in the Long-term Planning process 2. Policy work to support planning process 3. Reviewing Regional & Local OPs & Secondary Plans 4. Reviewing Planning Applications 5. Reviewing C of As for Air 6. Airshed Modelling 7. Air Monitoring 8. Air Quality/Climate Health Promotion

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Long-Term Planning Process • Participate in Region’s Core Technical

Committee • Prepared 4 of 22 background papers

for Phase I of Sustainable Halton Process:

– Air Quality – Physical Activity – Community Food Security – Healthy Communities

• Reviewed other Background Papers • Commented on the Evaluation Criteria

to be used to assess Growth Options

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Policy Paper – Walkable & Transit Supportive Communities • Phase 3 of Sustainable Halton • Identifies parameters needed to

create walkable & transit-supportive communities

• Pivotal - Healthy & Sustainable Communities:

– air quality & climate change – physical activity & safety – Social equity & social cohesion

• Directed at: Growth Plan, OP Policies, OP Guidelines, &/or TMP

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Walkability Parameters • Uses 3-D’s Approach

– Density – Diversity – Design

• Eg. Residents should live within: – 400 m of six diverse land uses – 800 m of 17 diverse land

uses. . – 800 m of a planned or existing

retail food market – Locate community parks & rec

facilities on local transit routes.

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Policy Paper– Incompatible Land Uses & Air Quality • Phase 3 Sustainable Halton process • Need to encourage infill & mixed land

uses BUT need to protect public from localized air quality impacts

• D-6 Guideline – Not address Traffic Corridors – Not clearly re: air quality – Not clear re: air studies – Not address cumulative impacts

• Halton-specific Guideline for OP recommended

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Incompatibility Parameters • 400 Series Highways

– 150 meter separation for Sensitive Land Uses at ground level

• Secondary Highways - >30,000 – 30 meter separation for

sensitive land uses at ground level

• Multi-story buildings allowed where where engineering controls/building design can mitigate air quality impact

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Policy Tools for Air & Climate • Contracted Law Firm for report that:

– Reviews Federal & Provincial Legislation & policies

– Reviews Regional MOUs & Regional OP

– Identifies policy tools that can be used to enforce or incent policies re: air & climate in planning process

– Identifies advocacy opportunities

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Reviewing Regional OP, Local OPs & Secondary Plans • OPs have good language already • Submitting high level comments & detailed comments • Strengthen commitment to:

– Addressing incompatible land uses re: air – Walkability/Cycling Infrastructure & Public Transit – Energy efficiency, Renewable Energies & Green

Buildings – Community food security – Social Equity – Climate change mitigation & adaptation

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Reviewing Planning Applications • Reviewing Subdivision

Plans, SPA, OPAs for: – Walkability – Incompatible land uses – As well as water issues

• Using Province’s D-6 Guidelines & health studies now

• Hope to strengthen authority in the future with new Guidelines for both

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Reviewing C of As for Air • Reviewing EBR for Air Quality CofAs • Reviewing those that have the potential for significant

impact • Considering background air levels for common air

pollutants • Asking for frequency analysis for common air

pollutants • Asking for PM2.5/10 when TSP is used for quarries • Eg. Nelson Quarry & Norval Quarry & Acton Quarry

– Generating Stations – Milton/Oakville – Roxul Expansion – Milton – SW Natural Gas Plant - Oakville

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Airshed Modelling • Conducting airshed modelling • Common air pollutants • Characterize air quality across

community – 2 km resolution • Using bottom up data • Identify contribution of different

sectors • Assess policy options • Assess cumulative impacts • Inform policy, education and

advocacy

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Stationary Air Monitor in Milton

• Fastest growing municipality in Canada

• 5 common pollutants • Validate airshed modelling • Follow trends over time • Provide AQHI to residents • Provide real-time 24-hour

readings

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Portable Air Monitoring • Two AirPointers© • 5 common air pollutants each • Validate airshed modelling

– Georgetown - 6 months – Mountsberg – 10 months – HWMS – 5 months

• Measure micro-environments • Support Policy Development

– Traffic Corridor Study

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Milton Bishop Reding School

Georgetown Water Tower

Mountsberg

Wildlife Centre

Waste Site Halton Region

Landfill

MOE Burlington

AQI STN

MOE Oakville AQI STN

Air Monitoring Sites in Halton 2008/2009

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Monitoring in Halton Region

Example: PM2.5 in Halton Region PM2.5 (ug/m3)

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Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09Month

Ave

rage

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Georgetow nMountsbergHWMSMiltonBurlingtonOakville

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Air/Climate Health Promotion Program Highlights 2008/2009: • Produced 2x1 minute

Air/Climate Videos – Energy use at Home – Energy use “on the road” – Posted on website/yahoo – 3 Theatres – Local TV

• “Tools for Schools” kit – Air monitoring data – videos – Other Resources

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Air/Climate Health Promotion Program Highlights 2009: • Public Opinion Survey

– Knowledge re: air & climate

– Attitudes & behaviour re: Energy Use at Home & “on the Road”

– Inform future work – Evaluate impact

• Lunch & Learn Series for Employees

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For More Information www.halton.ca/airquality Click on "Reports & Background Documents” • Air Quality, Human Health & the Built Environment: Protecting Air Quality

through the Land Use Process (MO-12-07 Attachment)(Feb 07) • Health Department's Proposed Air Quality Program (MO-35-07)(June 07) • Need for Improvements in Provincial Air Quality Regulations(MO-57-07)

(Sep 07) • Air Quality Program – Update (MO-04-08)(Feb 08) • Air Monitoring Update (MO-34-08)(Oct 08) • Creating Walkable & Transit-Supportive Communities (MO-09-09

Attachment)(Mar 09) • Protecting Health: Air Quality & Land Use Compatibility (MO-10-09

Attachment)(Mar 09) • Air/Climate Health Promotion Program (MO-11-09)(Mar 09) • Air/Climate Videos:

http://www.halton.ca/health/services/air_quality/energy_use.htm