Oriole Park School Partners on Air Quality Project - Mobile Unit Will Monitor Vehicle Emissions and Other PollutantsRed Deer 2009/02/19

The Oriole Park School will welcome a new neighbour in February, well at least temporarily. A mobile air quality monitoring station from the Parkland Airshed Management Zone (PAMZ) will be parked by the school to assist the group with its air quality monitoring that takes place throughout the region on an ongoing basis. In addition to monitoring overall air quality, the unit will be looking at levels of pollutants from tailpipe emissions from vehicles. The unit will be parked near the drop-off zone on the west side of Ogden Avenue from mid-February through mid-March and again in October 2009.

'Parkland Airshed approached the District and requested the opportunity to monitor air quality at one of our school sites. Oriole Park volunteered to have the monitoring unit at its site,' said Darren Skrepnyk, Director of Facilities with Red Deer Public Schools. 'It's not that there is an issue at Oriole Park, or at any of our schools. PAMZ and the District were interested in monitoring air quality at parent's drop off zones in general. It should provide us with some interesting information,' said Skrepnyk.

'Car idling and vehicle emissions have become an increasing concern in general, we are hearing more and more about it in the news' says school principal Cathy Gukert. 'When there was a call for a school to have the unit, we welcomed the opportunity.'

'We will be monitoring levels and comparing them to provincial air quality objectives as well as other urban locations where we have monitored air quality,' said PAMZ Executive Director, Kevin Warren. 'We have consistently identified emissions from idling vehicles as a major concern for zone residents and approached the school district with the idea of monitoring the emissions at parent drop off or bus loading zones. We are pleased to see that Oriole Park School has already instituted an excessive idling avoidance policy for buses that service the school.'

The City of Red Deer played an active role in creating the initiative between Red Deer Public Schools and PAMZ. They are also interested in the results of the monitoring process. 'The data we collect at this station provides us with information on the type, amount and potential sources of air pollution in Red Deer,' said Pam Vust, Environmental Initiatives Coordinator with The City of Red Deer. 'This information will help us develop effective programs to help maintain our good air quality.'

For further information, please contact:

  • Cathy Gukert, Principal ' 'cole Oriole Park Elementary School 403-347-3731
  • Darren Skrepnyk, Director of Facilities ' Red Deer Public Schools ' 403-342-4421
  • Kevin Warren - Parkland Airshed Management Zone ' 403- 862-7046
  • Bruce Buruma, Director of Community Relations - Red Deer Public Schools - 403-342-3708

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