Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards Project Team

Background

In 2019, a statement of opportunity from the Government of Alberta was brought to the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA), intended to inform policy options for managing air quality in consideration of anticipated exceedances of NO₂ Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) that may occur if no action is taken to reduce NO_x emissions. Further scoping discussions by a working group following the statement of opportunity resulted in a draft project charter for a project team to carry out. At the September 2020 meeting, the CASA Board of Directors approved the project charter and formed a project team.

The CAAQS are a component of the National, and Alberta’s, Air Quality Management System (AQMS) used to drive air quality improvement. Further details on the CAAQS are in the team’s final report and the links provided for further reading below.

Through this project, a range of innovative policy options were identified and perspectives from sectors on those options were provided as a starting point for further investigation on how to address the NO₂ CAAQS challenge efficiently, effectively, and equitably in Alberta.

Project Goal

To identify potential options to reduce NO_x emissions and ambient NO₂ concentrations in Alberta, as well as gather stakeholder perspectives on those potential options.

Project Objectives:

Objective 1

Prepare a written background document providing an overview of NO₂ CAAQS, as well as O₃ and PM_2.5 CAAQS implementation in Alberta.

Objective 2

Create a base of informed stakeholders who can contribute meaningful solutions to CAAQS implementation in Alberta.

Objective 3

A list of collaborative approaches and solutions for NO_x CAAQS achievement in Alberta.

Objective 4

Write a final report and recommendations.

Objective 5

Execute effective communication of the project work and deliverables.

 Final Documents

• Approaches and Solutions for CAAQS Achievement in Alberta (Final Report)
• CAAQS Achievement Webinar Series Recordings available on request
• News Release
• Backgrounder
• Project Charter

 Further Reading

• Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (Government of Alberta)
• Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards and the Air Quality Management System (Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment)
• Air Quality Management Frameworks (Government of Alberta)

The team’s final deliverables were approved by the board in September 2022. For more information about this work, contact Project Manager Alec Carrigy at acarrigy@awc-casa.ca.