Air quality advisory issued
By Boundary Sentinel
The Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Grand Forks, Christina Lake, Castlegar, Trail and Creston because of high concentrations of fine particulates which are expected to persist until Sunday. Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. If you are experiencing difficulty in breathing, chest pain or discomfort, sudden onset of cough or irritation of airways and particularly if you have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes lung or heart disease, contact your health care provider or seek medical attention. Open burning under the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation is prohibited within the Kootenay Lake and Arrow Boundary Forest Districts until further notice. Residents of in these communities are requested to not use woodstoves unless it is the sole source of heat in your home. Tips to reduce your personal health risk:· Avoid roads with heavy vehicle traffic and areas with wood smoke;· Stay inside, keep windows and doors closed and reduce indoor sources of pollution such as smoking, vacuuming and use of woodstoves;· Run an air cleaner. Some room air cleaners, such as HEPA filters, can help reduce smoke indoors provided they are the right size for your home and filters are kept clean;· Take shelter in air-conditioned buildings which have large indoor volumes and limited entry of outdoor air;· Use symptom management medications, such as inhalers, if you need them;· Maintaining good overall health is a good way to reduce health risks resulting from short-term exposure to air pollution. Mandatory Emission Reduction Actions:· Open burning is banned by order of the Ministry Director under the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation for all category 2 and 3 burns within the Kootenay Lake and Arrow Boundary Forest Districts until further notice. Contravention of these prohibitions may result in a fine of up to $200,000;· The addition of materials to existing fires is prohibited for the duration of the ban, and contravention of this prohibition may be subject to a fine under the Regulation. Voluntary Emission Reduction Actions for Creston, Castlegar, Trail, Christina Lake and Grand Forks:· Avoid the use of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces unless used as the sole source of residential heat;· Where wood-stoves or fireplaces are the sole source of residential heat, use only CSA/EPA emissions approved wood-burning appliances and well-cured wood, and ensure an adequate supply of combustion air;· Follow local backyard burning bylaws, and avoid backyard burning where a bylaw prohibiting this practice does not already exist;· Reduce the use and idling of vehicles. Additional Information:· Fine particulate (PM2.5) concentrations are currently 22.6 micrograms per cubic at Grand Forks City Hall and 19.5 micrograms per cubic at Creston’s PC Secondary School and are expected to exceed the provincial air quality objective of 25 micrograms per cubic metre, averaged over 24 hours;· Sources of fine particulates contributing to this air quality episode include wood smoke (wood stoves and/or open burning) as well as emissions from industry and transportation sources such as automobiles, trucks and rail traffic; · The provincial air quality objective for coarse particles, PM2.5, is 25 micrograms per cubic metre, averaged over 24 hours. 24-Hour average PM2.5 This episode is expected to continue until there is a change in the current weather system. Real-time air quality information from Grand Forks, Creston, and other B.C. communities can be found at: www.bcairquality.ca. Use the link on the left side bar of the Boundary Sentinel to get to Grand Forks air quality.
