1. 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
2. 2
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
3. 3
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
4. 4
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
5. 5
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
6. 6
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.
7. 7
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
8. 8
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
9. 9
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
10. 10
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
11. 11
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
12. 12
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
13. 13
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
14. 14
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
16. 16
Milton Bishop
Reding School
Georgetown
Water TowerMountsberg
Wildlife Centre
Waste Site
Halton Region
Landfill
MOE Burlington
AQI STN
MOE
Oakville
AQI STN
Air Monitoring Sites in Halton 2008/2009
17. 17
Monitoring in Halton Region
Example: PM2.5 in Halton Region
PM2.5 (ug/m3)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09 Apr-09
Month
AverageConcentration
Georgetow n
Mountsberg
HWMS
Milton
Burlington
Oakville
18. 18
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
19. 19
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
20. 20
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
