Candidates Tackle Air Quality Issues
By 250 News
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 08:24 PM
Candidates l-r Shirley Bond, Pat Bell, Andrej DeWolfe, Julie Carew and Tobias Lawrence
Prince George, B.C. – The first of a number of all candidate forums for the candidates of the Prince George ridings focused on air quality and the candidates’ plans to deal with it.
Tobias Lawrence New Democrat candidate for Prince George- Mackenzie promised a return to making the Ministry of Environment in charge, and no further downloading of air quality issues on municipal governments., set measurable emission targets and make sure they are enforced. “This may not happen over night” . She promises money for research, “green bonds would be the carrot, and new emission targets the stick." She also talked about more investment in transit as a form of reducing emissions.
Shirley Bond, Liberal candidate for Prince George-Valemount: “I am a life long resident of Prince George, and air quality is primarily a health care issue.” She says this is all about partnerships and just two weeks ago set the most aggressive pm 2.5 targets in Canada, and looking at an annual p.m. 2.5 target of 8, but would like to have that annual number set at 6 or 5. She told those in attendance the Liberal government has started an emission offset program and that may be more effective than just using best available technology. “We have an anti-idling program across the province, we have a wood stove exchange program, and another significant program is looking at transportation and we have looked at a policy of retrofits of all diesel vehicles that would removed 60 tonnes of carbon from the environment.” She says things have to be3examined such as moving the industrial land base as far away from the bowl of Prince George as possible. "We have had an aggressive plan, of setting targets, and new permits, or permits that are amended have to move towards reducing emissions.” She says air quality is one of the top issues she carries to her Liberal colleagues.
Andrej Dewolfe the Green Party candidate, Prince George Valemount. He prepared two speeches for the event,"First of all I think the air quality of Prince George is poor. I have been hearing deaths per year due to air quality is 30. I think one is too many, and we need provincial leadership to improve the situation."
"The Green Party would tax pollution and this would create an economic disincentive. We can subsidize technologies to reduce emissions, improve transit, we need to introduce air care programs, and the issue can move forward with the province supporting the City." He says he wishes the province had not sold BCRail as he doesn’t have a lot of faith in CN cooperating with the efforts. He says air care programs can be put in place in partnerships with UNBC and the province needs to do the funding.
Pat Bell: Liberal candidate Prince George, Mackenzie - “I think one of the things people here want to hear is what is air quality as a priority for Shirley and I and the government, there is no question air quality is among the top five issues, including education, crime and punishment and the economy. “
Bell went on to say, "Over the last couple of years, we have accomplished some things, and that’s not to say we have done enough, first, the PACHA conference of a year ago, the closure of 80 beehive burners in tier one areas. We have funded an air action plan of $28 million dollars over three years, including working with Canfor on some of their equipment, there are air monitoring stations, six in Prince George, and there are the new pm2.5 standards"
"The priority in the not too distant future is the elimination of slash burning within the Prince George area, and working with CN to see that they are reducing their emissions, The work is not done yet but it is a big priority for us."
Julie Carew,New Democrat for Prince George-Valemount : “Improving air quality in Prince George is a critical issue” She says clearly there has to be a move away from industry vs economy and instead the focus has to be made for aggressively dealing with the issue as a health issue. She wants a commitment to move forward, including aggressive steps to remove pollutants from the air, she wants measurable targets on emissions and the Canada wide standards to be met but was short on how it would be done “The New Democrat plan is for a green bond.(which people and companies would buy) and the dollars raised from the sale of green bonds would be used for environmental programs. She also talked about the New Democrats plan to increase the use of public transit, she says air quality is a provincial responsibility and she will work with all levels of government and with PACHA to ensure air quality targets are met.
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Posted by: Harbinger on April 21 2009 8:58 PM