News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – New Brunswick was successful in achieving national air quality objectives in 2015 according to the 2015 Air Quality Monitoring Results report. It was released today as Environment and Local Government Minister Serge Rousselle meets with stakeholders in Fredericton.

“New Brunswickers continue to benefit from good air quality, making our province a great choice in which to live and raise a family,” said Rousselle. “Your government remains committed to air quality surveillance throughout the province and to comprehensively reporting air quality information to residents.”

Report highlights include:

• The province was successful in maintaining the national air quality objectives for 2015 as set in 2012 by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

• The Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standard targets have been achieved provincewide.

• There were no exceedances of provincial objectives for nitrogen dioxide or carbon monoxide at any of the provincial monitoring sites.

• Acid rain levels reached their lowest levels to date, following a sharp decline in recent years.

• Local air quality monitoring data is now available in near real time from each of the provincially operated monitoring stations.

The 2015 report includes information from 14 provincial air quality monitoring stations and 10 acid rain stations. During this reporting period, industry operated an additional 30 stations. The key pollutants monitored include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide, ground level ozone, particulate matter, total reduced sulphur, and volatile organic compounds.

The report and detailed results, such as the Air Quality Data Portal, are available on the Department of Environment and Local Government website.