| This project investigated airshed management in south central Alberta. The airshed is an open system controlled by stability factors, wind, precipitation and topography, and can be described as unstable in space and time. These factors cannot be controlled; airshed management must therefore focus on prevention, tracking, and mitigation of pollution. Driving forces include public perception, cost of environmental initiatives now and in the future, and potential liability. South central Alberta's economic focus on petroleum production makes an uneasy marriage between economy and environment. Management tools can be used more effectively in the study area. Environmental assessment can use the Acid Deposition Research Program as a baseline for future studies. The lack of research on long term, low impact deposition of pollutants and the resulting social and ecological significant effects increases the need for cumulative environmental assessment, auditing, lifecycle assessment, and reporting standards. A zonal or regional approach under one political entity is recommended for short to mid term control; cross-jurisdictional control is the ideal for the long term. The study area lends itself to a zonal management approach due to the natural clustering of petroleum production along northwest to southeast trending foothills. |
