News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The 2017 Air Quality Monitoring Results report was released today.

“I am pleased to share that New Brunswick has achieved Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards at all monitoring locations,” said Environment and Local Government Minister Jeff Carr. “Continuing to improve air quality in our province will help ensure our communities are vibrant and sustainable for many generations to come.”

Report highlights include:

• Fewer poor air quality events than the previous year (11 occasions when New Brunswick’s air quality objectives were exceeded versus 18 in 2016).

• Acidity in rain remains very low, down from the peak levels experienced in the late 1980s.

• Data began to be reported from a new multi-pollutant air quality monitoring station that was established in Edmundston.

The 2017 report includes data from 11 air quality monitoring stations and 5 acid rain stations. During this reporting period, industry operated an additional 32 stations. The key pollutants monitored include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ground level ozone, particulate matter, total reduced sulphur, and volatile organic compounds.

An improved air quality portal is now available which uses real-time ambient air quality data from the monitoring stations that are operated by industry. This greatly increases the amount of information available to the public about air quality in communities across the province.

Air quality monitoring in New Brunswick is a partnership between Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Environment and Local Government under the National Air Pollution Surveillance Agreement.

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