"Sutherland says his committee has made significant strides in helping to reduce emissions in the Prince George airshed, but says there is still work to be done ."

Not significant enough to prevent PG from being one of the most polluted cities in BC and in Canada when it comes to particulate matter which is one of the key scoiety produced and preventable causes of respiratory diseases.

I had a more detailed look at the site. In my opinion there is too much information presented repeatedly in too many locations.

The key question is not answered under "frequently asked questions":

Since the implementation plan was introduced in 1998, what has been the change in the frequency of air quality advisories, frequency of air quality being above 25, 50, 75, 100, etc.

In other words, the committee states that it has done work fro 10 years. The question is, what has been the real accomplishment over that 10 year time when we look at air quality and its measurement in this community? We should be able to see some real results other than time spent working on it. Is this committee effective, or do we need to look at some other method of accomplishing the goal of improving the air quality in this city to the same level as an average city in BC. Not only that, but given that we are in a wilderness setting, and not in a highly urbanized region of the province, the air quality here should be much better than the average.

I know that about 15 years ago, prior to the committee's formation, there were many springs when the measure was in the double digits even 200 and I think 300 after the city would sweep downtown streets at night without watering the streets before sweeping to keep the dust down. But that was prior to the committee's work.

We must remember that we all pollute the air and industrial processes and their associated activities, such as industrial transportation, pollute more than all of us combined. It is fine to talk about backyard burning, and use of wood fired appliances in the house since the emissions affect us as well as our immediate neighbours directly but not the people down the street and further away. It is fine to talk about idling since it affects the people walking by our cars. But all of that combined does not impact the air shed to the degree that industry and industry related processes do.

We are likely about to see the permitting of another industry which will throw hundreds of tonnes of PM into the airshed. The Committee has helpless in doing anything about it. The ministry has been placed between a rock and a hard place, and the City has not done its due diligence.

When it comes to industrial emission control, when it comes to helping industry and the people of this city by creating a proper heavy industrial park outside the bowl, this city has been sitting on its hands for far too long.

All the cute web sites in the world will not change that fact.