Item - 2017.PE23.7

City Council considered Items HL22.3 and PE23.7 together.

The Parks and Environment Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council direct the Director, Environment and Energy, in collaboration with the Medical Officer of Health, to:

a.  Work with staff from City Planning; Toronto Building; Children's Services; Long-Term Care Homes and Services; Facilities Management; Transportation Services; Engineering and Construction Services; Parks, Forestry and Recreation; the Toronto Public Library; and other appropriate City divisions and agencies, to develop feasible best practices on how to reduce exposure to traffic-related air pollution, and facilitate their implementation at City facilities;

b.  Develop guidance to assist appropriate City agencies, corporations, and divisions in establishing traffic-related air pollution mitigation measures at City-owned sites located within 500 metres of roads with annual average traffic volumes of 100,000 vehicles or more per day, and within 100 metres of roads with annual average traffic volumes of 15,000 vehicles or more per day; and

c.  Develop best practices guidelines for new and existing buildings, in consultation with industry professionals, and raise awareness of these practices among school board staff, child care centre operators, long-term care facility operators, and residents, as well as builders, developers, designers, architects, engineers, and other professionals.

2.  City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, in collaboration with the Director, Environment and Energy, to:

a.  Pursue, through the Toronto Congestion Management Plan (2016-2020), opportunities to reduce traffic-related air pollution;

b.  Undertake an evaluation of the City's street sweeping service levels to identify any possible enhancements that could improve air quality along Toronto's roadways by:

1.  Adopting Ontario's interim 24-hour Ambient Air Quality Criterion (AAQC) for coarse particulate matter (PM10) of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air (50 µg/m3) and the 24-hour Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard (CAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of 28 micrograms per cubic metre of air (28 µg/m3) as air quality benchmarks for the maximum desirable concentration of particulate matter in air along Toronto streets;

2.  Conducting an air quality monitoring study of ambient PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations along City streets to assess the impact of current street sweeping practices, and using the findings to inform street sweeping service levels;

3.  Developing an air quality monitoring program for ambient PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations to assess whether the interim 24-hour Ambient Air Quality Criterion for PM10 and the 24-hour Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 are met near roadways; and

4.  Giving first priority to meeting the air quality benchmarks at sensitive use properties, including child care centres, schools, and long-term care homes, within 500 metres of roads with annual average traffic volumes of 100,000 vehicles or more per day, and giving second priority to sensitive uses within 100 metres of roads with annual average traffic volumes of 15,000 vehicles or more per day, and identify a strategy for meeting the air quality benchmarks more broadly across the City giving priority to areas with elevated particulate matter concentrations and residential areas.

3.  City Council request the Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change to:

a.  Undertake mobile air quality monitoring and air modelling along provincial highways including those located in Toronto to assess the relationship between traffic counts and air quality in areas adjacent to these highways, to estimate health risks, and provide trends over time;

b.  Estimate the cost of social, environmental, and health impacts associated with TRAP, including health-care costs and years of life lost, and compare these with the costs of preventing emissions of, and exposure to, TRAP; and

c.  Establish a special air management area focussed on land adjacent to Provincial highways in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to facilitate development and implementation of provincial and municipal measures to reduce releases of, and exposure to, traffic-related air pollution along these highways.

4.  City Council request the Ontario Minister of Finance to implement financing and funding mechanisms for building retrofits needed to reduce exposure to traffic-related air pollution, with a priority placed on supporting retrofits of buildings with sensitive uses (such as schools, child care centres and long-term care facilities) located near highways and roads with average daily traffic volumes of 100,000 vehicles or more.

5.  City Council request the Ontario Minister of Transportation to review the feasibility of modifying street sweeping standards and practices on Provincial Highways to reduce levels of PM10 (particulate matter with an average diameter of 10 micrometres of less) in air along such highways.

6.  City Council request the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to:

a.  Harmonize Canadian environmental emissions standards for fuels, vehicles and engines with those applicable in the State of California;

b.  Identify a strategy to reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from older model heavy-duty diesel trucks; and

c.  Include in Canada's Clean Fuel Standard, limits to emissions of air pollutants, in addition to the proposed limits on greenhouse gases.

7.  City Council forward the report (October 16, 2017) from the Medical Officer of Health and the Deputy City Manager, Internal Corporate Services, to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Ontario (PHO), Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), Central East LHIN, Central West LHIN, Mississauga Halton LHIN, Toronto Central LHIN, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), le Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, le Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir, the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA), AdvantAge Ontario, the Home Child Care Association of Ontario, the Association of Day Care Operators of Ontario (ADCO), the Ontario Landlords Association, Toronto Landlords, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, the Greater Toronto Area Clean Air Council (GTA-CAC), and the Pembina Institute.

Toronto's air quality is improving. Policies and programs implemented by federal, provincial and municipal governments have led to decreases in pollutant emissions, ambient air pollution levels, and related health impacts. However, Toronto Public Health estimates that air pollution still contributes to 1,300 premature deaths and 3,550 hospitalizations in Toronto each year.

Motor vehicle traffic is the largest source of air pollution emitted in Toronto. Exposures to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) are highest near highways and busy roads. The health literature indicates that health risk from TRAP is higher within 500 metres of highways with an average daily traffic volume of 100,000 vehicles or more, and within 100 metres of arterial roads with an average daily traffic volume of 15,000 vehicles or more. Studies show that people living close to roads are more likely to experience adverse health outcomes including breathing problems, heart disease, cancer, and premature death. People who are more vulnerable to these impacts include children, the elderly, and people with certain pre-existing medical conditions.

Emissions of TRAP in Toronto can be reduced with sustained focus on initiatives that promote active transportation and transit, reduce congestion, and encourage use of electric vehicles. Recent updates to the Official Plan, the Walking Strategy, the Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines, the 10-year Cycling Network Plan, and TransformTO, Toronto's renewed climate action plan, are among the City initiatives that will reduce exposure to TRAP.

There are additional opportunities to reduce health risks from TRAP. Operational changes in buildings and a combination of strategies including site planning, building design, and physical barriers can be used during construction or when retrofitting older buildings. Bringing these best practices to the attention of those who design and manage buildings, particularly buildings occupied by vulnerable populations such as schools, child care centres and long-term care facilities, can encourage their adoption. Funding and other financing mechanisms can encourage building retrofits to mitigate exposure to TRAP, especially for vulnerable populations.

A special provincial air quality management approach for large urban areas can help provide a framework for focused interventions. Regular air quality monitoring along busy highways, and an assessment of the costs associated with TRAP, can help better define the challenge and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Strengthening partnerships with organizations around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and across Canada who are addressing TRAP will help identify and implement best practices and contribute to reducing exposure to TRAP in Toronto.