10 - North Shore News — Wednesday, August 23, 2000 Al Dear Editor, Open fetter to North Vancouver City council and North Vancouver District Council regarding car idling bylaw: Honourable Mayors and members of council: Lam writing in support of a motion concemimg a car idling bylaw, only if other sources of pollution are also targeted and if both the city and the district councils cooperate on this issue. After all, air flows with the wind across those boundaries. I am a non-smoking vic- tim of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease duc to a workplace injury and ongo- ing exposure to poor air quality from industrial and car emissions which made my condition much worse. My lungs feel great in the morning after a run in pollu- tion-free wooded — areas. However, after standing beside an idling bus, walking along the road beside idling cars and trucks, or a trip into : --=~ MAIL Box pollution sources affect air qua Vancouver, my lungs are sore again. Lonsdale is particularly bad because of all the traffic. You can see the smog on the side oof the — buildings. Because this street is so cen- tral, [T wonder why people can’t walk to do their shop- ping. The problem is, people are addicted to their cars. One evening I was poisoned by mysterious brown billow- ing smoke coming from a stack in the roof'at 300-block East Espianade. It stung: my eves, made my throat and nose sore and made my lungs feel sere tor iwo days. Neither the fire department, the City of North Vancouver, the health department, nor the GVRD air quality department ever discovered the source. I had a witness and the brown smoke was billowing, for some time, right into the new housing complex behind, until it conveniendy went out when the fire It can be sridlock after Labour Day. _ Get ready for it. Whether youre going to school or work, we'd like __ to suggest ways to help ease your commute. As part of our Strategic Transportation Plan, understanding traffic congestion in the Greater Vancouver area and helping you manage your travel are part of our responsibilities. Every time another single occupant vehicle is off the road, it helps ease congestion for the sake of motorists, transit customers and business. We add 23,000 cars on our roads each year, that’s why we're offering some tips to help you deal with the post department arrived and found nobody home. Now FT will never know the longlasting effects of those fumes! Just because air quality is worse in the Fraser Valley, we should not become desensi- tized to the fact that it is zet- ting worse and worse on the North Shore as the popula- tion grows. Don’t forget ali the indus- trial: activity: diesel fumes from trucks, ships, industrial emissions and particles from loading chemical fertilizers from the grain elevators. Depending on the direc- tion of the wind, pollution can get locked into North Shore Mouatains also, not just up the Fraser Valley. My second point is that we are targeting the wrong people. Capilano Highway Services trucks need to be ready for road accidents and drivers should be able to stay warm in the winter. Instead, we should be tar- geting the following: parents idling cars while waiting for school kids; buses that keep idling after more ‘han two minutes at Phibbs Exchange and Lonsdale Quay (it only takes 60 seconds of bus fumes and I am ilf for the rest of othe = day); North Vancouver district and city trucks don’t turn off all the time either. Move pedestrian side- walks further away from fumes and the danger of cars. Encouraging more and more lity deveiopment on the North Shore will make the problem worse, because with people, coMes cars. Don't forget that some members of council: agreed to the eradication of 80 per cent of trees in between the Maplewood community and heavy industry. Car fumes and industry make a terrible toxic soup in the air. I hope that both councils will not allow gypsy moth BK spraving any time in the future. SPEC reported in their last issue of SPEC- TRUM that 97.9 per cent of this spray is made of chemi- cals unknown to us under the guise of a “trade secret.” The article said that the Environmental Appeal Board ruled in 1998 that “there is risk to the health of children, people of all ages who have allergies, asthma and other respiratory ailments.” ZT can’t get away from it! | have had to alter my lifestyle completely and avoid going outside on bad days. I may have to move out of the city altogether. Mine is a horrible disease that affects my quality of life. If we are going to advocate for clean air, please let’s exam- ine all sources, not just pick on one individual! and his truck. Look at all the cars driving by the truck with one occu- pant, or those who are too proud to take the bus. Elise Roberts North Vancouver a JAVLORMOTI VEX, peyiize B.C.AA., AFA, 1LC.B.C. Approved SUMMER SPECIALS Si% ALL SERVICE BY GOVT. REGISTERED TECHNICIANS ‘north shore DERS news Bo “Ae iy Tune-Up - #iGH TECH One of BC's top AirCare tectmicians wil check your engine, teport Indings & tune with scope reading & ful road test? cai a lt 5) Senvice Coosa Systzu Presgure test rad., CK water pump, hoses, belts, ~-