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Environment and Conservation
July 21, 2011

Current Air Monitoring Data Available Online

Up-to-date information on air quality in the province is now available to the public online. The information is provided through the National Air Pollution Surveillance program monitoring stations in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, and Port au Choix, and can now be viewed online in near real time.

“This national air pollution surveillance program is a partnership of federal, provincial, territorial and regional governments and measures air quality throughout Canada for the purpose of providing accurate outdoor air quality data across the country,” said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “This data provides the basis for evaluating air pollution control strategies, identifying urban air quality trends and for warning of emerging air pollution issues. We are pleased that it is now available online to the public as well, in as close to real time as possible.”

Additional information from a mobile air monitoring unit is also now available online. The mobile unit is currently located at Buchans where it monitored air quality during the recently completed remediation of the former mine site. The mobile unit will be relocated to the Marystown area to provide further information to complement the National Air Pollution Surveillance program.

Through the 286 monitoring sites in 203 communities in every province and territory, the surveillance program provides accurate, uniform and long-term air quality data across the country. The data generated is utilized to report an Air Quality Health Index for these particular areas on the Environment Canada weather network found at www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/ 

In addition to the real-time data, the Air Pollution Control Regulations maximum acceptable concentrations for the various air pollutants are also available online. The pollutants monitored include nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate.

“The air quality data gathered at these stations is shared with researchers, regulators and policy makers in an effort to understand the impacts of air quality, not only on human health, but on the environment as well,” said Minister Wiseman. “Efforts like this help ensure we have the necessary information available when we need it.”

The air monitoring information is available on the Department of Environment and Conservation’s homepage at www.gov.nl.ca/env 

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Media contact:
Melony O’Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca 

2011 07 21                                                                               12:20 p.m.

 
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