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Air quality |
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The City of Toronto has a comprehensive smog action plan. The Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan involves City Agencies, Boards, Commissions and Divisions developing smog alert response plans specific to their functions.
Links to sites external to the Toronto Public Health Web site are provided as a convenience and their inclusion does not imply that Toronto Public Health endorses or accepts any responsibility for the content or use of these sites.
Year round energy conservation activities
There are many benefits associated with conserving energy, not the least of which will reduce air pollution. Saving energy and reducing vehicle use is better for the environment, and for our health. City employees are encouraged to:
- Turn off lights and other equipments (e.g., printers, photocopiers) at the end of the work day
- Turn off computer monitors when not in use
- Set printers and photocopiers to print double sided whenever possible
- Take public transit, carpool or walk to work, if they are not required to use their personal vehicle on the job or when traveling between work locations
- Consider, whenever possible, the use of teleconferencing instead of traveling by car to meetings
- Whenever possible, combine visits and inspections to reduce vehicle trips
- Adhere to the City's Idling Control Bylaw
- Keep all vehicles in good repair
Additional measures for City divisions during a smog alert
In addition to the year round energy conservation efforts, City divisions are encouraged to undertake the following smog reducing activities to further reduce air emissions on a smog alert day.
Office-based staff
- Building operations staff to reduce level of air conditioning in facilities to decrease energy demand; encourage staff to wear lighter clothing
Divisions that operate outdoors
Note: For health and safety reasons, and/or during some special events, these activities may not be implemented during a smog alert.
- Refuel all vehicles and equipment during evening hours
- Suspend non-essential use of vehicles while maintaining core operations
- Suspend use of gas-powered lawn mowing equipment - use less polluting equipment instead (e.g., four-stroke instead of two-stroke engines)
- Suspend use of oil-based products (e.g., paints and solvents) - use water-based products instead
- Avoid open burning of materials
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