Airshed Planning

An airshed is defined as an area where the movement of air tends to be limited to the bounds of that area, as a result of specific geographical or meteorological conditions. The Sea-to-Sky Airshed comprises the region from Bowen Island to just north of Pemberton. It includes the communities along the eastern and western shores of Howe Sound, such as parts of West Vancouver, Gibsons, Langdale, Lions Bay, Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton.

The traditional approach to managing air quality has been for governments to target large-scale industrial stacks via permits and emission limits. While that approach was effective over the last 15 to 20 years, present-day science and inventories of air pollutant emissions show that in areas like the Sea-to-Sky corridor, non-industrial sources such as vehicles and space heating account for about 80% of emissions.

The solution?

Air Quality or Airshed Management Planning, a collaborative approach which encompasses the management of all air pollution sources by many levels of government, industry, utilities, etc.

Communities in the Sea-to-Sky Airshed have already demonstrated their commitment to adopting practices that will contribute to air quality management. Notable examples include the Squamish Lillooet Regional District’s (SLRD) Regional Growth Strategy, and municipal initiatives such as adoption of Smart Growth principles, integrated energy, GHG and air quality management planning, and backyard burning bylaws. In addition, sustainability is to be the cornerstone of the 2010 Olympics. The Howe Sound Community Forum (HSFC) embraces the principles of sustainability that will contribute to air quality management in the corridor.

Given this commitment, the next logical step was the development of the Sea-to-Sky Air Quality Management Plan. The plan was developed using a multi-phased approach based on an Adaptive Management Framework. To learn more about how the AQMP was developed, read Sharing the Air.

To learn more about Airshed Planning in general, and to find examples of airshed plans from other areas of B.C., see the Air Quality Planning page in the Reading Room.