Spurred on by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, the Town of Midland is taking the first tiny step toward a possible bylaw to reduce pollution caused by idling vehicles.
“It’s high time we take a look at this,” Mayor Jim Downer said at a general committee meeting Nov. 10.
In a letter to council, Dennis Roughley, chair of the Simcoe Muskoka District Board of Health, pointed out vehicle exhaust is a significant contributor to environmental and health problems.
“Idling vehicles release harmful emissions that cause eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing and wheezing, breathing difficulty, reduced lung capacity, and decreased resistance to infections,” Roughley wrote.
“Exposure to air pollution can also cause serious symptoms for individuals with asthma and cardio-respiratory diseases.”
To fight the problem, the health unit is determined to move forward with an anti-idling strategy.
The first step is for local municipalities to participate in a needs-assessment survey, a step Midland has now agreed to take.
“When smog advisories are on in summertime, sometimes now they extend up to Parry Sound,” said Coun. Zena Pendlebury. “We’re not immune from this.”
Coun. Patricia File said Midland should consider the environmental impact of its own fleet: “(This strategy) may help us rethink the way we use our own vehicles.”
Though supportive of the initiative, Downer suggested the Dalton McGuinty government should take responsibility for implementing an Ontario-wide policy.
“The province should be dealing with it as it’s dealing with cellphones,” he said, referring to a recent bill banning the use of cellphones while driving.
According to the Ontario Medical Association, air pollution may contribute to more than 6,200 premature deaths in the province in 2008, including an estimated 223 in Simcoe Muskoka. In addition, by the end of this year, approximately 2,200 emergency-room visits will have been linked to poor air quality.
Deputy Mayor Ruth Hackney said discussions about limiting vehicle idling have also taken place at the County of Simcoe.
Bylaws of varying strictness are already in place in Orillia, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Gravenhurst and Huntsville.
tmealing@simcoe.com
