HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-10-118 - 2009 Best Bets for Air Quality - Final ReportREPORT
REPORT TO:
Development and Technical Service Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
June 7, 2010
SUBMITTED BY:
Alain Pinard, Interim Director of Planning (519) 741-2319
PREPARED BY:
Carrie Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner 741-3400 x
3148
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
ALL
DATE OF REPORT: May 27, 2010
REPORT NO.: DTS -10-118
SUBJECT:
2009 BEST BETS FOR AIR QUALITY : FINAL REPORT
RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
BACKGROUND:
The attached report (DTS-10-098) summarizes the outcomes of the 2009 Best Bets for Air
Quality. The report was presented to the Environmental Committee on May 20, 2010 and its
findings were endorsed.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager
Development and Technical Services Department
Attachment: DTS-10-098 2009 BEST BETS FOR AIR QUALITY: FINAL REPORT
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REPORT
REPORT TO:
Environmental Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
May 20, 2010
SUBMITTED BY:
Alain Pinard, Interim Director of Planning (519) 741-2319
PREPARED BY:
Carrie Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner 741-3400 x
3148
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
ALL
DATE OF REPORT: May 5, 2010
REPORT NO.: DTS -10-098
SUBJECT:
2009 BEST BETS FOR AIR QUALITY : FINAL REPORT
RECOMMENDATION:
That Report DTS-10-098 (2009 Best Bets for Air Quality: Final Report) be received for
information.
BACKGROUND:
In May 2006 the Environmental Committee presented a report entitled Air Quality in Kitchener to
Kitchener Council. The report was the culmination of a year of deliberations by members of the
Committee responding to direction from Council in November of 2004 to develop a long term
comprehensive plan on the air quality in the city of Kitchener. The report included a series of 50
Recommended Actions
In 2006 five of these actions entitled ‘Five Best Bets’ were put forward by the Committee for
investigation by staff as to their feasibility. Kitchener Council ratified this committee
recommendation on July 4, 2006 and in so doing staff was directed to commence a
consideration of the feasibility and ways and means of implementing the Five Best Bets.
Each year since 2006 five Best Bets have been put forward by the Environmental Committee
and approved by Kitchener Council. The Council approved process for selecting and reporting
on the five annual Best Bets includes a final report on the previous year Best Bets at the April or
May meeting of each year.
This report constitutes the final report for the 2009 Best Bets for Air Quality.
REPORT:
On June 15, 2009 Kitchener Council approved the five Best Bets for 2009 that were
recommended by the Environmental Committee. An interim update from City staff was provided
to the Environmental Committee at the December 2009 meeting.
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In accordance with the Council approved process staff through the Environmental Study Group
investigated the feasibility and if appropriate pursued the implementation of the Air Quality in
Kitchener Five Best Bets for 2009. The five Best Bets for 2009 and the responses received are
provided below under each subsection.
Best Bet #1 - the City of Kitchener in cooperation with the Region of Waterloo’s Public
Health Department, develop and implement education strategies to make residents aware
how their personal actions and choices affect air quality (Recommended Action 3.4 from
the Air Quality in Kitchener report 2006)
The Region has a long history of air quality energy activities, such as the Waterloo Region
Partners for Clean Air, Emission Reduction Plan, Anti-idling protocol and education campaign.
Several departments within the Region of Waterloo develop, deliver and promote education
programs for the community on a wide variety of environmental topics. The Region often
engages a wide range of partners including the City of Kitchener to deliver and promote
education programs related to environmental issues and initiatives.
Partnerships are valuable when common mandates are identified and coordinated approaches
can be developed as they leverage resources and can improve the impact of the initiative.
Partnerships amongst the area municipalities within the region exist in specific areas; such as,
storm water management, land-use, infrastructure planning, environmental preservation, and air
quality initiatives.
Balancing issues such as jurisdictional authority, workload capacity, compatibility and timing all
play a role in considering if a partnership venture will be beneficial for all those involved as well
as optimize benefits for those who are affected by the results of the initiative.
Ongoing communication with Regional staff regarding upcoming projects, initiatives and events
insures when a common mandate is identified and a coordinated approach can be developed
the City has the opportunity to partner with the Region.
Reported by: Carrie Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner
Best Bet #2 - expand the existing Kitchener Clean Air Plan to include a smog alert
advisory / strategy and management program targeted at the general public, not just City
operations (Recommended Action 2.4 from the Air Quality in Kitchener report 2006)
Visitors to the City of Kitchener website are now able to link directly to the Ontario Ministry of
Environment website where they will have an opportunity to subscribe to the Smog Alert
Network.
The City’s webpage on ‘Air Quality’ was updated to include the following … “To join the Smog
Alert Network or to find more information about Air Quality Ontario visit
www.airqualityontario.com” The Smog Alert Network is a notification service issued by the
Ontario Ministry of Environment that provides advanced warning that poor air quality may be on
its way. Three kinds of notifications can be expected...
ASmog Watch when there is a 50 per cent chance that elevated smog levels are
forecast to occur within the next three days.
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ASmog Advisory when there is a strong likelihood that elevated smog levels are
forecast to occur within the next 24 hours, or it can be issued immediately if widespread,
poor AQI readings occur, and weather conditions conducive to the persistence of such
levels are expected to continue for several hours.
Atermination notice once a Smog Advisory is over.
Smog Alert notification is provided all year round with the majority of alerts being issued during
the May to September period depending on the weather conditions.
Reported by: Carrie Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner
Best Bet #3 - make available through the City of Kitchener educational material and
assessment tools to demonstrate the benefits of and encourage energy retrofit initiatives
in residential, commercial and industrial applications (Recommended Action 1.26 from
the Air Quality in Kitchener report 2006)
Community Renewable Energy Waterloo (CREW) in partnership with the City of Kitchener
Building Division and with financial support from LEAF will undertake the Kitchener Green
Building Incentive in 2010. Both of the project partners are committed to the concept of
promoting green building practices and programs in Kitchener, and both have complimentary
expertise in the building sector.
Natural Resources Canada estimates that homes account for 17 percent of all energy use in
Canada, so this is a smart place to invest in greenhouse gas reductions. To inspire the change
to Green Building and to assist residential builders in adopting these programs (ENERGY STAR
and LEAD) education is required for the building industry as a whole, and also for the end users:
the home owning public.
Based on similar municipal incentives currently in place or under development elsewhere
throughout North America, the Kitchener Green Building Incentive will promote builder and
homebuyers to invest in Green Buildings, with the expectation of creating a sustainable shift that
will continue after the program ends.
The objectives of the Kitchener Green Building Incentive are:
Provide a green building incentive for new homes in Kitchener. Ensure the incentive
program is effective, efficient and accountable, and that greenhouse gas and water
saving are measured.
Publicize the Kitchener Green Housing Incentive to ensure high participation from
builders, to build market demand for green homes, and to shine a spotlight on Kitchener
as a municipal leader and hub of green building.
Engage local partners in community and education activities to enhance local
understanding of the attributes and benefits of green homes and retrofits, and to
increase market demand for green homes. Leverage funding, knowledge and
promotional assistance from community collaborations.
Improve local air quality through the reduction of fossil fuel use to heat and power
homes.
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To implement the Kitchener Green Building Incentive a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is
required. City staff have prepared a CIPentitled the Kitchener Energy and Water Efficiency for
Land and Buildings Community Improvement Plan for consideration at the June 7, 2010
Development and Technical Services Committee.
The goal of the Community Improvement Plan is to encourage the construction or
reconstruction of buildings or the use of land, in a way that achieves measurable improvement
or efficiency in energy and water conservation. This goal is consistent with policy directives at
the provincial, regional and local levels, including recent changes to the Planning Act which add
theimprovement of energy efficiency to the definition of “community improvement”; and the
provision of energy efficient uses, buildings, structures, works and improvements or facilities, to
the scope of eligible costs for which municipalities can provide community improvement grants
or loans.
The Community Improvement Plan would enable the City to proceed to implement the Kitchener
Green Housing Incentive Program, and additionally, makes provision for the possibility of adding
other qualifying programs to the Community Improvement Plan, by amendment.
Reported by: Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner
Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
Best Bet #4 - Assist transport centres (i.e. train and bus terminals) and City facilities (i.e.
arenas, libraries and pools) to introduce anti-idling measures (Recommended Action 1.7
from the Air Quality in Kitchener report 2006)
Since 2007 the City has installed approximately 300 anti-idling signs at drop-off zones at
elementary and secondary schools and City owned facilities. This included the placement of
approximately 115 signs in school zones where parents are permitted to drop off / pick up their
children. Additionally, 142 signs have been installed at City facilities including all Community
Centres, Seniors Centres, maintenance yards, sports fields, parks, pools, arenas, golf courses,
cemeteries, fire stations and administrative buildings.
In conjunction with the placement of the first Stop Idling sign in school zones, the City
conducted a media launch intended to increase awareness of the negative impacts of idling
vehicles.
As part of our ongoing effort to keep our residents informed the City will once again place an
article in ‘Your Kitchener’ to be released late August regarding the negative impacts of idling
vehicles and to increase the awareness of the City’s anti-idling signs. Also, the new City of
Kitchener website will have an entire webpage dedicated to idling.
Reported by: Carrie Musselman, Senior Environmental Planner
Colleen Collins, Marketing and Communications Associate
Best Bet #5 - the City of Kitchener carry on emission inspections and maintenance
programs as part of ISO 14001 that effectively reduce emissions from fleet vehicles
(Recommended Action 1.1 from the Air Quality in Kitchener report 2006)
Kitchener’s Fleet Operations have maintained an Environmental Management System
registered to the ISO 14001 standard since 2008 -- a practice that keeps us on the leading edge
of municipalities in the province in terms of environmental due diligence.
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The ISO 14001 registration means that the 1,199 vehicles and equipment utilized in regular city
operations, fire equipment, pumping station equipment and equipment used at the city's golf
courses - is repaired and maintained to a higher environmental standard.
The key benefits of maintaining registration to the ISO 14001 standard include:
ISO 14001 is recognized as an international best practice.
The system enables the city to become a leader in environmental practices.
Annual Third Party Audits ensure the framework of the Environmental Management
System is maintained.
It enables the balance of customer demands while at the same time improving internal
efficiencies, reducing waste and ensures compliance with environmental regulations.
Sets the standard for the city to maintain compliance with environmental laws.
Allows the city to demonstrate leadership through sustainable initiatives, remain
accountable for environmental performance, and practice stewardship by continually
reducing environmental impacts.
Provides accountability for work already in place.
Staff are in the process of investigating other operating areas within the corporation that could
also potentially benefit from the same Environmental Management System principles and
practices.
Reported by: Don Miller, Director - Fleet
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None at this time.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager
Development and Technical Services Department
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