At the Region of Peel, preserving Peel's
natural areas and resources, and protecting human
health are two of our most important objectives. The
Region of Peel is committed to protecting and enhancing
the Region's environments. This commitment is entrenched
in the Region's Strategic Plan, Fast
Forward Peel: Building a Strong Community Together,
which lists goal number 3 as being to "Preserve,
protect and enhance Peel's natural environment and
resources".
State of the Environment reports are
a key tool for monitoring the health of Peel's environments.
The purpose of the State of the Environment (SOE)
program is to report regularly on the state of the
environment in Peel as mandated in the "Keeping
Track of Our Successes" section of the strategic
plan. The first series of Peel state of the environment
(SOE) reports was produced between 1995 and 1998.
The three reports of this series, Atmosphere, Water
and Land produced in 1995, 1996 and 1998 respectively,
assist the Region in monitoring the changes in the
condition of Peel's natural environment and identify
potential impacts affecting the health of the residents
of Peel. These reports play an important role as an
information tool for residents of Peel and the general
public.
State of the Environment Reporting
- 2002 to 2005
Research is currently underway on the second generation
of Peel SOE reports. This second series will consist
of five reports; three covering the existing topic
areas, and two new reports dealing with human/social
aspects of the Region's environment, and a conclusion
report providing a summary of the key findings of
all the reports in this series. The first report in
this second series (Atmosphere) was released
in December 2002, and is currently available. This
report examines regional, national and global air
quality and atmospheric issues that affect Peel, and
provides a list of actions that are currently being
taken by Peel's municipal governments to address the
issues. A checklist is included in the document which
provides actions that can be taken by everyone to
improve air quality.
For your convenience, both Summary and
Technical versions of the 2002 Atmosphere Report are
available. Printed copies of the Summary report and
the previous series of SOE reports can be obtained
from the Peel Planning Department (905 791-7800 ext.
4239). The Summary report is also available in pdf
format. A copy of the Technical report (on CD) may
be ordered by contacting the Planning Department at
the number listed above.
Other reports in this series will be
released in the following order:
Previous State of the Environment
Reports
The three original SOE reports continue
to be valuable sources of information on the state
of the Region's environments, while providing valuable
data and information for comparison. More information
on obtaining copies of these reports is provided on
the Planning Publications
page. As the new reports from the second series
are released, links to their executive summaries will
be added to this page.
The Atmosphere Report
(1995) provides indicators of air quality in Peel
and addresses potential impacts of air pollutants
on human health and the natural environment in the
Region, based on data collected prior to 1995.
The Water Report (1996) establishes baseline
conditions for groundwater, surface water, and drinking water resources in
Peel, and determines if conditions are improving or deteriorating.
The Land Report (1998)
presents information on the health of Peel's natural
areas and resources, biota, and stresses on the land
in Peel, and establishes baseline conditions as the
basis for monitoring.
The Region of Peel's State of the Environment program
is coordinated by a steering committee comprised of
staff members of the Planning, Health, Public Works,
Social Services and Housing departments, with assistance
from Communications Services and Peel Police. Each
report is completed through collaborative efforts
involving the above departments. At various stages
throughout the process, input from groups representing
the community is sought and incorporated. Prior to
production, all reports undergo an extensive peer
review process, involving experts in the various topic
areas.
Copies of the three SOE publications can be obtained
from the Peel Planning Department
(905-791-7800 ext. 4239). Any questions or comments
regarding the Region of Peel State of the Environment
program can be directed to Peel Planning staff at
905-791-7800 ext. 4749.
