Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment

• Development of the Harmonization Accord designed to lead to improved cooperation and better environmental protection across Canada.
• Development of air related Canada-wide standards for benzene, dioxins and furans, mercury, and particulate matter (PM) and ozone.

Environment Canada

• Development of Canadian emission standards for vehicles and engines and amendment of sulfur in Diesel Fuels Regulations, aligned with those of the US EPA
• Worked with the US EPA to develop the Ozone Annex to the 1991 Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement. The Ozone Annex was negotiated to reduce the transboundary movement of smog-causing pollutants and commits both countries to control and reduce emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) which are precursors of ground-level ozone.
• Development of the Interim Plan on Particulate Matter and Ozone detailing the Government's efforts on reducing emissions, the science behind policy decisions to protect the health of Canadians from toxic air pollutants, the clean air activities within government and the programs to engage Canadians to take action at home and in their communities.
• Completed a comprehensive scientific study, Pacific 2001, to provide a better understanding of, and reduce the uncertainty of the sources, formation and distribution of PM and ozone in the Lower Fraser Valley.
• Working with the marine sector to reduce emissions in coastal British Columbia waters.

Cargo ship in Vancouver harbour

(Source: Unknown)

US Environmental Protection Agency

• Development of more stringent standards for particulate matter (PM) and ground-level ozone.
• Intensifying efforts to reduce or eliminate the harmful health effects related to agricultural burning in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This includes the development of a Strategy for Agricultural Field Burning.
• Proposal of the Clear Skies legislation, which would set strict, mandatory emissions caps for three of the most harmful air pollutants - sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury. If enacted, Clear Skies will cut power plant emissions of these pollutants by 70 percent, eliminating 35 million more tonnes of these pollutants in the next decade than the current Clean Air Act.
  
  
  Engine exhaust from a diesel truck

  (Source: US EPA)

  
  
• Assessing the possible health hazards associated with exposure to diesel engine exhaust, which is a mixture of gases and particles. The assessment concludes that long-term (i.e., chronic) inhalation exposure is likely to pose a lung cancer hazard to humans, as well as damage the lungs in other ways depending on exposure.

US National Parks Service

• Is a member of the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP). 
  The purpose of the WRAP is to develop data, tools, and policies needed by states and tribes to improve visibility in parks and wilderness areas across the West.

B.C. Ministry of Environment

• Analysis of options for BC vehicle tailpipe emission standards (pdf) for the post-2004 period.
• The BC Scrap-It Program — the first of its kind in Canada — has been extended to include more financial incentives and alternative transportation modes.
• Monitoring and analysis of ground-level ozone concentrations at various sites in British Columbia for 1986-1997.
• Monitoring and analysis of fine particulate (PM2.5) levels in British Columbia.
• Completion and summary of the 1995 emission inventory for the Sea-to-Sky Airshed and is the first emissions inventory produced for the area.
• Holding Burn-it-Smart workshops across the province to educate the public how to safely burn wood products.
• Administering the Environmental Management Act
• The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a partnership initiative with Environment Canada, Health Canada, the Province of British Columbia and participating municipal governments. British Columbia is the first province in Canada to pilot the index, an innovative tool that links air quality and risk to human health . The AQHI pilot project encompasses the Greater Vancouver Regional District and eight communities across the province including: Kamloops, Vernon, Osoyoos, Nanaimo, Victoria, Quesnel, Prince George and Kelowna.
• The Clean Air Kit is designed to help local government develop air emissions reduction programs in their community.

Washington State Department of Ecology

• In February 2006, The Washington State Department of Ecology announced $2 million in grants to help local governments purchase and install devices that decrease pollution created by heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment.
• Supporting an automotive and emissions testing program in five Washington State counties.
• Reducing the detrimental environmental and human health effects of agricultural burning by making daily burn/no-burn decisions called the "burn call" for agricultural permit holders.
• Monitoring and analysis of particulate matter at various sites in Washington.

US Emissions Testing Station

(Source: Washington State Department of Ecology)

Fraser Valley Regional District

• Developed a regional Growth Strategy (pdf)
• Successful lobbying to ensure that industry is fitted with the best available emission reducing technology in the Fraser Valley.
• In collaboration with the Chilliwack and Abbotsford School Districts and Environment Canada, FVRD retrofitted 29 school buses with emission-reducing devices called diesel oxidation catalysts.
• Worked with Environment Canada and other agencies to complete the Analysis of Best Management Practices and Emission Inventory of Agriculture Sources in the Lower Fraser Valley Report (Executive Summary, pdf)

Greater Vancouver Regional District

• Adopted the new GVRD Air Quality Management Plan (pdf).
• Installed new pollution control and heat recovery technologies on the GVRD municipal solid waste incinerator to reduce NOx emissions.
• Continuing to address commercial sector air pollution through measures such as improved vapour recovery at gas stations, reducing solvent emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and others.
• Co-operatively developed the AirCare program to reduce emissions from automobiles and supported the emission inspection and maintenance program for light duty vehicles in the Lower Mainland of B.C.
• Collecting methane gas emissions from the Port Mann landfill and selling it for industial use.
• Monitoring and reporting on an Air Quality Index for the Lower Fraser Valley. (A map of the monitoring network (pdf) is available).
• Development of the Livable Region Strategic Plan, Greater Vancouver's regional growth strategy, and the Sustainable Region Initiative

Northwest Clean Air Agency

• Funding for environmentally beneficial projects approved - The agency's Board of Directors approved funding for 49 environmentally beneficial projects. The projects are being funded with a $600,000 penalty payment the agency received in December 2005. Click here for a list of the projects.
• Testing indoor air quality in public schools and assisting with indoor air quality problems in the American Pacific Northwest.
• Working with local governments to promote energy efficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Testing for toxic air pollutants in Bellingham to assess public health risks.
• Providing funding to significantly enhance ambient air monitoring, which provides a better understanding of air pollutants.
• Working through the Wood Stove Program to inform residents about the health impacts of wood smoke, wood stove laws, and proper use of wood heating devices. The goal of the program is to reduce the significant health impacts of wood smoke pollution.
• Partnering with a local non-profit organization (Climate Solutions) to inform local counties and cities about global warming and what can be done at the local level to address it. The goal is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as well as traditional air pollutants through energy conservation efforts.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

• Studying the effects of air toxics on human health from sources such as diesel engines in the Puget Sound area.
• Working with a consortium of partners, to develop the Diesel Solutions program to make diesel vehicles in this region dramatically cleaner. This voluntary initiative will leverage ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel into western Washington and enable a wide range of public and private fleets to join a consortium to retrofit diesel vehicles. This is a model program with experience that can be transferred to other urban areas.
• Providing an up-to-date Air Quality Index for areas in the Puget Sound. Information includes air quality trend charts for the previous three days, the latest air quality forecasts for the region, current ozone conditions and an ozone map, and images from the Seattle visibility camera.
• Participating in Air Watch Northwest, a program to help people understand the relationships between their own actions, the weather, and air quality. This program uses weather forecasts and other data to predict air quality and provide public warnings of possible increases in pollution levels. It also empowers individuals to make lifestyle changes that reduce air pollution.