Air Quality

There's nothing like a walk and some fresh air to clear your head, right? To make sure the air is fresh, we recommend examining your emissions from everyday activities such as driving your vehicle, yard maintenance and heating your home.

The Bulkley Valley-Lakes District Airshed Management Society's website that has information useful to almost all Highway 16 residents, including details on the Woodstove Exchange Program (Rebates of $250 minimum available for qualified residents and appliances). And remember, even if you have a clean burning stove, if you are using green wood or garbage for fuel, your chimney is pumping out toxic smoke. For everyone's sake, please burn only clean, seasoned wood and kindling. Go visit cleanairplan.ca now!

For forestry, agricultural and landclearing operations, emissions form open burning can also be reduced by following procedures listed in the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. Visit the Burn Operators Forum for everything you need to know about open burning.

Burning household garbage is problematic when your garbage includes plastics, styrofoam, paper products with lots of gloss and coloured ink, and any other toxic materials. Burning these materials inside your woodstove or fireplace builds up creosote, leading to chimney fires. Burning these materials in your yard in or outside of a barrel creates a toxic plume harmful to humans and animals. Please do not burn garbage. For more information, visit this site.

Here are some more great links with information to better understand air quality, why it changes, what it means for your health, and how you can keep it clean!

BC Lung Association

cleanairkit.ca with funding links for community projects

Ministry of Environment Skeena Region website

Environment Canada - Residential Wood Heating