Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan - Status Report

 The Board of Health reports having endorsed the direction of the implementation plan as outlined in the report (May 11, 1998) from the Medical Officer of Health and submits this report to City Council for information.

 The Board of Health reports, for the information of Council, having:

 (1)forwarded this report to the Environmental Task Force for their information; and

 (2)requested the Medical Officer of Health to report directly to City Council at its meeting on June 3, 1998 with a detailed implementation plan.

 The Board of Health submits the following report (May 11, 1998) from the Medical Officer of Health:

 Purpose:

 The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the implementation of a Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan for the summer of 1998. The changes in operations and activities identified for implementation this summer represent the first phase of a multi-year process that will incrementally expand the corporate response to smog alert episodes in following years.

 Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

 The financial and resource implications of implementing a Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan will be addressed in the June 3/4, 1998 final report to City Council.

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that:

 (1)The Board of Health endorse the direction of the implementation plan as outlined in this status report;

 (2)this report be forwarded to the Environmental Task Force for their information; and

 (3)the Board of Health request the Medical Officer of Health to report directly to City Council at its meeting of June 3/4, 1998 with a detailed implementation plan.

 Council Reference/Background/History:

 At their meetings on April 21, 1998 and April 8, 1998 respectively, the Board of Health and the Environmental Task Force endorsed the recommendations of the Medical Officer of Health (March 27, 1998) regarding the development of a Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan. The report from the Medical Officer of Health outlined the key elements of a corporate smog alert response plan, and a process for implementation during the summer of 1998.

 Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

 A smog alert response plan is one way in which the corporation can make a direct contribution to environmental health during episodes of poor air quality. It is an important component of any broader initiative that aims to prevent air pollution.

 With municipal amalgamation, existing smog reduction practices and plans adopted by former Toronto-area municipalities need to be merged into a comprehensive plan for the new City of Toronto. This report provides an update on the process underway to develop and implement a corporate response to poor air quality episodes this summer. A more detailed implementation plan will be reported to City Council at its meeting on June 3/4, 1998.

 The Medical Officer of Health established a corporate work group (see attached) to develop the Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan, bringing together functional leads for:

 Cprogram areas which have the ability to contribute to the City=s efforts to improve air quality on smog alert days by suspending or modifying their activities and operations;

Cprogram areas which provide services to client groups considered particularly vulnerable to poor air quality, for example, children=s services, homes for the aged, ambulance services;

Cprogram areas which have expertise in implementing and communicating corporate change strategies, including Healthy City Office and Corporate Communications.

 The following is a summary of the status of the work related to each of the key components in the corporate smog alert response plan:

 (a)Notification procedure - The Medical Officer of Health will notify the program areas as soon as possible after receiving notification by the Ministry of Environment/Environment Canada of a smog alert forecast. Program areas will notify their staff that a smog alert is in effect, and request that smog alert response plans be activated.

 (b)Program area response plans - Program areas are committed to implementing the Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan this summer. Draft action plans have been prepared by program areas and reviewed by the work group. These action plans reflect an incremental approach to implementation, specifying modifications to operations which are feasible this summer. In developing action plans, program areas have taken into consideration the human resource, service and financial implications of modifying operations.

 (c)Short and long term evaluation mechanism - This tool will be developed to examine the effectiveness of the smog alert response plan.

 (d)Communication/Awareness plan - Corporate Communications has developed a communications plan to facilitate the implementation of the 1998 smog alert response plan. The communication objectives are to:

 Ccreate awareness of how smog is formed and its adverse impact on health;

Ceducate city residents and staff about what they can do to reduce smog, and how they can protect their health on smog days;

Ccreate general awareness about the Corporate Smog Alert Response Plan;

Cmotivate staff to implement departmental operational protocols on Smog Alert Days.

 The communications plan will consist of two inter-related strategies: a) general awareness campaign and b) an action-oriented smog alert information campaign. These strategies will include outreach to staff and the community.

 Conclusions:

 The Medical Officer of Health has initiated a process to develop a Corporate smog Alert Response Plan, in collaboration with functional leads from a broad range of program areas, for implementation this summer and beyond. Program areas are concerned about the adverse impacts of poor air quality on our health and the environment and are committed to taking action this summer. A more detailed description of the 1998 implementation plan, including program area action plans, will be submitted to the June 3/4, 1998 meeting of City Council.

 Contact Name:

 Franca Ursitti

Research Consultant, Environmental Protection Office

Tel: 392-6788

Fax: 392-7418

fursitti@city.toronto.on.ca

  List of Program Areas, Agencies and Corporations Represented on the Corporate Work Group

 Childrens Services

Corporate Communications

Corporate Services - Energy & Waste Management

Corporate Services - Procurement

Healthy City Office

Homes for the Aged

Housing

Parks and Recreation

Public Health

Works - Fleet

Works - Road Operations, Transportation

Works - Sanitation

Works - Water and Waste Water

Toronto Ambulance

Toronto District Heating Corporation

Toronto Fire

Toronto Police

Toronto Region Conservation Authority

Toronto Transit Commission

Toronto Zoo

  Respectfully submitted,

Councillor John Filion,

Chair

Toronto, May 12, 1998

 Christine Archibald

Tel. (416) 392-7039