Airshed management

Abstract

Airshed management planning is a collaborative approach to air quality management usually involving a variety of stakeholders that includes the public, industry and local governments. The airshed management planning approach recognizes that poor air quality can often be the result of the cumulative impact of a multitude of activities and emission sources (regulated and unregulated), and this is often exacerbated by topographical and meteorological conditions that do not allow dispersion of pollutants. Airshed management planning processes in BC, Alberta and other parts of Canada are described with case studies ranging from small communities with small numbers and types of emission sources, to larger metropolitan areas with a variety of emission sources and complex air quality issues which require unique approaches to air quality management. The term airshed is defined, including a discussion of how airshed boundaries are delineated.