Provincial

Photo Credit: City of St. Albert

Alberta’s Air Quality Management System (AQMS)  is a comprehensive approach for reducing air pollution in Canada and is the product of an unprecedented collaboration by the federal, provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders.

Alberta’s Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQOs) are developed under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA).  Air quality objectives are generally established for one-hour, 24-hour, and annual averaging periods and may occasionally require other averaging periods.

Objectives and guidelines are based on an evaluation of scientific, social, technical, and economic factors. The AAAQO table below outlines various pollutants, their limits under the AAAQO and the health implications associated with each.

Alberta’s Air Monitoring Directive (AMD) sets out the requirements for monitoring and reporting air quality in the province. It ensures operational consistency and credibility of air quality monitoring data.  The AMD also:

• outlines the minimum requirements for the collection and reporting of air monitoring data in Alberta;
• establishes a set of consistent requirements for quality assurance practices that ensure, and allow for verification of, the quality of the air data collected in Alberta and ensure data comparability among monitoring sites;
• provides guidance and criteria to operators of monitoring equipment, auditors, and the Regulator on minimum quality assurance requirements and air monitoring and reporting requirements.

The Clean Air Strategic Alliance is a multi-stakeholder partnership. It is composed of representatives selected by industry, government and non-government organizations. Every partner is committed to a comprehensive air quality management system for Alberta. 

Alberta’s Airsheds Council (AAC) is a partnership of Alberta’s 10 regional Airshed organizations (including the ACA) that provides leadership in support of healthy air quality for Albertans and the environment.

Alberta’s Airsheds now operate more than 70 air monitoring stations across the Province in compliance with all provincial and federal standards, including Alberta’s Air Monitoring Directive. Data collected by Airsheds contributes to the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which is reported in over 30 communities.