Cross-posted from Eye Daily.
What will Norm Kelly say now?
A report from Toronto’s medical officer of health is recommending that Toronto force businesses to disclose the pollutants they pump into our air. As it stands now, the vast majority of Toronto businesses don’t have to keep track of the chemicals they emit at all, but according to the report, there are a lot of nasty things in our air.
Says the Toronto Star:
The report backs the call for a new bylaw with two new sets of air quality data. Both suggest the city’s air contains relatively high concentrations of chemicals that can cause cancer, breathing ailments or reproductive problems.
One source was Environment Canada measurements at a handful of city locations from 2003 to 2005. Most spectacular was a single reading for chromium, a carcinogen, that was 1,150 times a benchmark set by California’s Environmental Protection Agency — which establishes most of the continent’s strictest standards. Three other chemicals had peak readings more than 100 times the benchmark. Average readings for chromium were 225 times the California standard.
Five others were at least 25 times the benchmark.
The Board of Health will vote on the recommendation at its meeting this Monday.
