As we continue in to day 3 of a dust advisory in many northern BC communities, one expert says the solution lies in road cleaning.
According to air quality meteorologist Ben Weinstein, the traction material left over from the winter season is a huge contributor to air quality.
“It’s time to continue cleaning the streets,” says Weinstein, “the biggest thing contributing to road dust advisories is winter traction materials left on the roads.”
The road dust advisories continue for Burns Lake, Houston, Prince George, and Fort St John today.
The elderly, and residents with chronice illnesses such as lung and heart diseases, and diabetes are at particular risk during these conditions.
Weinstein also commented on the recent false alarms in Kitimat after they found themselves the victims of a number of false sulfur dioxide level warnings over the past few days.
The warnings, according Weinstein, are a result of a faulty automatic alert system.
“Those shouldn’t happen,” says Weinstein, “it’s not advantageous to people in Kitimat when we broadcast out levels that aren’t real and advice that relates to levels that aren’t real.”
Weinstein says that they are working to correct the system so that it can better serve the residents of BC as intended.
