Air quality a deadly concern
Contributed by Judy Lishman:
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The consultant has said that there would be no impact on air quality in the Kettle Island corridor, the most heavily populated corridor studied. He is wrong.
The adverse health effects of diesel exhaust fumes are well documented. Studies by the American Lung Association indicate that 70-80% of the cancer risk from air pollution is due to particulate matter emissions from diesel engines.
According to Environment Canada, fine particulate matter is considered to be toxic as defined in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
Increased roadway pollution produced by diesel fuel in vehicles is leading to a cascade of conditions that could result in heart attack or stroke and premature death researchers noted in a report to the American Heart Association.
The Canadian Medical Association states that “the link between exposure to diesel exhaust and asthma has been borne out in epidemiological studies indicating that children living along major trucking routes are at increased risk of asthma and allergic symptoms and of having respiratory dysfunction.
The Ontario Government through its “Strategic Options To Address The Fine Particulate Issue In Ontario” recognizes the serious issue of diesel exhaust. “Recent scientific studies have statistically linked atmospheric fine particulate matter arising from diesel exhaust with harmful human health effects such as cancer, the exacerbation of asthma, respiratory disease, heart disease and chronic obstructive lung disease. Unlike the situation with many other toxic substances, for fine particulate matter there is no known threshold concentration below which exposures are deemed safe. Therefore, even at very low levels of ambient particulate matter, susceptible individuals including the elderly, children and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular disease may respond adversely.”
There are 12000 people in the Kettle Island corridor who live within the zone of influence of the toxic emissions of diesel trucks. It is not only a possibility but a certainty that a percentage of them will get cancer, heart disease, lung disease and die prematurely as a result of diesel emissions if the bridge is built at Kettle Island.
According to Ontario’s strategy, measures need to be introduced to attain desirable particulate matter levels in the province. Since cities are the place where most of Ontario’s population resides, reduction of particulate matter effects in cities is crucial.
The consultant’s answer is that mitigation measures will be studied in phase 2. There are no mitigation measures available other than removing trucks from populated areas.
The trucks must be directed to a corridor remote from people so that diesel exhaust emissions can be adequately attenuated.
The recommendation by the consultant to locate a new bridge in the Kettle Island corridor must be rejected in order to protect the health and lives of the people who live there.
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