District of Houston

Clean Air Performance Dashboard

Alignment with BVLD Airshed Management Plan (2012)

🟢 On track 🟡 Partial 🔴 Major gap


Open Burning 🟡

Status: Partial progress

Key BVLD indicators

  • Fall advisory days
  • Average PM2.5 during burn season
  • Compliance with burn notifications

Why: Wildfire smoke is the dominant PM2.5 source. District has limited regulatory control. Public Education is inconsistent.

Actions:

  • Formal smoke response protocol
  • Clean air shelters during events
  • Annual smoke reporting to BVLD AMS

Industrial Emissions 🔴

Status: Major gap

Why: No air quality requirements in OCP or rezoning process.

Actions:

  • Add air quality clauses to OCP
  • Require air impact statements, define and require the Best Available Technologies
  • Refer major projects to AMS

Residential Wood Burning 🔴

Status: Major gap

Why: High winter PM2.5; no stove exchange program.

Actions:

  • Woodstove certification bylaw
  • Subsidized exchange program
  • Ban uncertified stoves in new builds

Backyard Burning 🔴

Status: Major gap

Why: No municipal restrictions.

Actions:

  • Seasonal backyard burning ban
  • Permit system
  • Complaint tracking

Road Dust 🟡

Status: Partial

Why: Dust control exists but no performance metrics.

Actions:

  • Track sweeping dates
  • Identify dust hotspots
  • Report to AMS annually

Vehicle Emissions 🔴

Status: Major gap

Why: No idling policy or EV targets.

Actions:

  • No-idling bylaw
  • EV fleet transition
  • Public charging stations

Quick Case Study

Quick BC Case Study

A case study of a timber harvest in the Quick Core Eco-System presents a trial of the BVLD Airshed Management Plan.

Despite Quick community members’ attempt at thorough smoke management planning beginning nearly a year before the event there was still a burn and immediate health effects felt by those nearby. The AMS has this draft observational report: the Quick Case Study