Finally, acknowledgement from somebody at New Westminster City Hall of a major air pollution problem, namely diesel engine exhaust particulate, a known cancer-causing agent, from not only trucks but trains as well (Parkade air quality has Puchmayr concerned, The Record, Feb. 17).
It has been at least obvious for more than 20 years. The current downtownplan as well, as the previous plan of more than 10 years
ago, reported high levels of air pollution, not only under the old parkade but almost everywhere downtown. Many letters have been written, for at least the past 10 years, with supporting documentation, etc. attached to city hall, etc.
Many replies have been received from federal, provincial and other municipalities, however, I don't remember ever receiving any replies about air pollution from New Westminster City Hall.
It is very doubtful that tearing down part of the old parkade will "magically" reduce pollution on Front Street or downtown. Depending on the direction of the wind, the pollution will just move perhaps over to the waterfront or River Market and drift up the hill to the many too-tall apartment buildings. The apartment buildings, most with an inadequate air-filtration system, will impose an increasing health threat to the occupants, especially those with respiratory problems, allergy problems or anyone with a predisposition to air-pollution contaminants.
The apartment building rooftop makeup air unit air inlet is more than 100 metres above and more than 300 metres from Front Street. However, a low-efficiency air filter is a scary, saturated ugly mess. Just imagine what it would be like if it was a high-efficiency air filter. Just imagine how much contaminant is not now being filtered out but rather is going into the apartments and accumulating on carpets, furniture, cloth blinds, clothing, children's clothes, stuffed animals, toys etc.
Just imagine the concern of a young mother after her baby has been crawling on the carpet and then sees her baby's unusually red hands. We have to remember the final air filter is a person's lungs!
So to reduce the harmful air pollution, not only on Front Street, means all diesel engine powered trains, trucks, etc. must have diesel engine exhaust particulate filters - like some of the new TransLink buses and some of the new city diesel trucks - and then, of course, the flow of trucks through New Westminster, especially Royal Avenue, must be greatly reduced.
It is interesting to note that the standard cabin air filter in my 11-year-old car is of a higher efficiency (98 per cent) than the air filters (only 25 per cent efficiency) of the rooftop makeup air unit for the four-year-old apartment we now live in - all of which was accepted and approved by New Westminster City Hall.
There is no doubt that too much air pollution and, as well, too much noise pollution are a serious threat to the people living and working downtown - it is a very costly health-related problem.
It is hard to understand why New Westminster City Hall has so aggressively promoted so much downtown densification/ uglification and exposed thousands of new residents, including small children and seniors, to such a high, life-shortening, etc. health hazard. It is rather like living with second-hand cigarette smoke 24/7/365.
Clearly downtown is now less "family-friendly" and less "livable," contrary to city hall promises, than it was nine years ago!
Allan Solie is a New Westminster resident.
