(Editor's note:  The following article appeared in the December issue of the Bulletin.  www.thebulletin.ca )

The Toronto Port Authority has rebuffed the city health board’s efforts to address the health impacts of the Island airport.

In a report dated Oct. 27 and released publicly only recently, Dr. David McKeown, the city’s medical officer of health, documented numerous unsuccessful efforts to obtain information from the TPA:

“Starting in February 2009, Toronto Public Health staff tried to obtain information from the Toronto City Centre Airport through phone calls and emails to the airport’s senior staff.

“The questions directed to [the TPA] by email and letter mail included general questions about whether the [the TPA] has an environmental plan or strategy and the types of actions that [the TPA] takes to promote a healthy environment at or near the airport facility. Specific questions about air quality asked whether any specific features of the airport design or operational practises promote better air quality, whether the [the TPA] does any onsite ambient air monitoring, and whether leaded airplane fuel is still in use at [the TPA].

“Requests to provide information, or to schedule a call or visit to obtain information about new environmental initiatives at the airport were not answered. A letter from the Medical Officer of Health dated June 2009 requesting information from the airport did not produce a response.”

CommunityAIR chair Brian Iler was not surprised. “The TPA has been consistently unresponsive to community concerns. The fact that they completely ignored the city on health issues demonstrates just how badly change is needed at the TPA,” he said.

The TPA also failed to respond to a request in June 2008 that “the Toronto Port Authority and the Toronto City Centre Airport [are] to undertake, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, Transport Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada, an airport ambient air monitoring program which includes assessment of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, particularly acrolein.” The authority, that operates Pearson  Airport, responded enthusiastically to the city’s request, providing details of its “emissions reduction program [that] focuses on reducing energy use, eliminating aircraft engine use at gates, reducing aircraft taxi times, reducing vehicle-related emissions, and green buildings.”

Deputations to the board of health on airport health concerns can be made on Jan. 18 starting at 9 a.m.