Air Quality: Canada - Wide Standards

Canada - Wide Standards

Under the Canada-Wide Accord on Environmental Harmonization, the Federal and Provincial Ministers (with the exception of Quebec) agreed to establish Canada-Wide Standards (CWS) for certain pollutants in our environment.

The main focus of the CWS is on lessening the impact that both particulate matter (PM) and ozone have on health and the environment.

• The CWS for ozone is 65 ppb, 8-hour running average time, based on the 4th highest annual ambient measurement averaged over three consecutive years. Jurisdictions are required to meet the CWS by 2010 and commence reporting on the achievement of the CWS for ozone by 2011.
• The CWS for PM2.5 is 30 micrograms per cubic metre (mg/m3), 24-hour averaging time, based on the 98th percentile annual ambient measurement averaged over three consecutive years. Jurisdictions are required to meet the CWS by 2010 and commence reporting on the achievement of the CWS for PM2.5 by year 2011.

With these CWS in place, the long-term impact of these pollutants on both health and the environment will hopefully be dramatically reduced.