1. TRAFFIC AND AIR POLLUTION IMPACTS

la circulation et ses répercussions sur la pollution de l’air

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

That Council request the Board of Health have the Medical Officer of Health report back to Council, in one year, on the health impacts of air pollution in areas with heavy traffic in the City of Ottawa compared to a representative location with light traffic.

RECOMMANDATION DU COMITÉ

Que le Conseil demande au Conseil de santé d’enjoindre au médecin chef en santé publique de faire rapport au Conseil, dans un an, concernant les répercussions sur la santé de la pollution de l’air dans les secteurs de la Ville d’Ottawa à circulation dense comparativement à un emplacement représentatif à faible circulation.

Documentation

1. Chair’s report, Environmental Advisory Committee dated 16 March 2011 (ACS2011-CCV-EAC-0001)

Report to/Rapport au :

Environment Committee /

Comité de l’environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

16 March 2011/ le 16 mars 2011

Submitted by/Soumis par : Chair, Environmental Advisory Committee/ President, Comité consultatif sur l’environnement

Contact Person/Personne ressource: Joël Monfils, Coordinator, Advisory Committees,

City Clerk’s Branch/Direction du greffe

(613) 580-2424 x26837, Joel.Monfils@ottawa.ca

City Wide/à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2011-CCV-EAC-0001

SUBJECT:	TRAFFIC AND AIR POLLUTION IMPACTS
OBJET :	la circulation et ses répercussions sur la pollution de l’air

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

The Environmental Advisory Committee recommends that the Environment Committee recommends that Council request the Board of Health have the Medical Officer of Health report back to Council, in one year, on the health impacts of air pollution in areas with heavy traffic in the City of Ottawa compared to a representative location with light traffic.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Le Comité consultatif sur l’environnement recommande au Comité de l’environnement de recommander à son tour au Conseil de demander au Conseil de santé d’enjoindre au médecin chef en santé publique de faire rapport au Conseil, dans un an, concernant les répercussions sur la santé de la pollution de l’air dans les secteurs de la Ville d’Ottawa à circulation dense comparativement à un emplacement représentatif à faible circulation.

BACKGROUND

At its 9 September meeting, the Environmental Advisory Committee passed the following motion:

Whereas air pollution’s impact in Ottawa is estimated by the Ontario Medical Association to be responsible for $18.3 million in lost productivity in 2005 and 503 deaths in 2008;

Whereas the average life span decreases by up to 2.5 years for people residing and working in areas of poor air quality, near heavy traffic in particular;

Whereas the management of air quality in Canada’s National Capital Region requires the identification of small-scale pockets of air pollutants in an area of over 5,000 km² and a population of more than a million inhabitants;

Therefore be it resolved that the Environmental Advisory Committee recommends that Council request the Board of Health have the Medical Officer of Health report back to Council, in one year, on the health impacts of air pollution in areas with heavy traffic in the City of Ottawa compared to a representative location with light traffic.

DISCUSSION

Understanding of the impact of poor air quality on the human body has grown tremendously in the last decade, particularly emissions of heavy traffic near major roadways. Likewise, there is growing public awareness and concern over how environmental health can affect us, such as poorer air quality. Now more than ever before, there is ample information available on air pollutant concentrations.

The Ontario Medical Association’s Illness Costs of Air Pollution (ICAP) Study, initiated a decade ago in conjunction with federal provincial agreements on reducing smog, has been widely accepted and extended by the Canadian Medical Association and Health Canada for all of Canada. The latest health impacts for 2009 indicate 503 premature deaths each year for Ottawa from air pollution. A recent study by the City of Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health indicates that roughly half of this impact comes from proximity to heavy traffic.

In the long run, it would be desired by the EAC if staff and/or the MOH were to make use of the measurements from the City's two AirPointer roadside monitors (and the two provincial stations) as well as from the high resolution, hourly satellite maps for the National Capital Region in preparation for their assessment to Council on the health impacts of air pollution, as indicated.

CONSULTATION

Community Sustainability Department

Community Sustainability will work closely with the Medical Officer of Health to provide the update as requested in the EAC motion.

Ottawa Public Health

The Medical Officer of Health has no objections to providing an update to City Council on the potential health impacts for Ottawa residents of traffic pollution under different vehicle volume scenarios in Ottawa. We look forward to any input the EAC would like to provide, and will work closely with the Environmental Sustainability Division of the Community Sustainability Department of the City on this initiative.

Health and Social Services Advisory Committee

At its meeting on 26 October, 2010, the Health and Social Services Advisory Committee considered and endorsed a motion with respect to air pollution, which was approved by the Environmental Advisory Committee at its meeting on 9 September 2010:

That the Health and Social Services Advisory Committee endorse the following motion from the Environmental Advisory Committee:

WHEREAS air pollution's impact in Ottawa is estimated by the Ontario Medical Association to be responsible for $18.3 million in lost productivity in 2005 and 503 deaths in 2008;

WHEREAS the average life span decreases by up to 2.5 years for people residing and working in areas of poor air quality, near heavy traffic in particular;

WHEREAS the management of air quality in Canada's National Capital Region requires the identification of small-scale pockets of air pollutants in an area of over 5,000 km2 and a population of more than a million inhabitants;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the EAC recommends Council direct the Medical Officer of Health to report back to Council, in one year, on the health impacts of air pollution in areas with heavy traffic in the City of Ottawa compared to a representative location with light traffic

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing the recommendation in this report.

DISPOSITION

If approved by Council, staff will take the appropriate action as directed.