Guidance Document on Air Zone Management

Air quality impacts all Canadians and affects many aspects of our lives and our society, including human health, the natural environment, buildings and infrastructure, crop production, and the economy. Federal, provincial and territorial governments share responsibility for air quality management. Under the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), federal, provincial, and territorial governments work collaboratively to improve air quality by implementing the Air Quality Management System (AQMS).

Under AQMS, each province and territory is responsible for delineating its territory into one or more air zones. Air zones provide a defined area for stakeholders, other interested parties and governments to work together to improve local air quality and maintain air pollutant concentrations below the Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS).

This guidance document outlines a structured approach for federal, provincial and territorial governments in managing air quality in air zones under AQMS. The objectives of this document are to:

• provide an understanding of the air zone management framework (AZMF)
• clarify the roles of government regarding air zone management
• provide guidance for assigning management levels to air zones and the related monitoring, reporting and management actions
• formalize the principle that CAAQS are not “pollute-up-to levels” and encourage governments to take action to improve air quality, considering that some pollutants can affect human health even at concentrations below the standards
• encourage actions that prevent deterioration in air quality, promote continuous improvement (CI), and encourage keeping clean areas clean (KCAC) in air zones with pollutant levels well below the CAAQS.

More information on AQMS and guidance on its implementation is available on ccme.ca.