Loyalist township council approved an agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for the temporary installation of an air monitoring station at the Bath fire station. They passed the motion at their Monday meeting.

According to staff's report, the open space behind the fire hall and its proximity to large plants in the area make it a prime location for air monitoring. With this air monitoring station, the MECP will be able to get accurate air quality readings for all areas upwind of Bath.

The MECP's air monitoring program is intended to measure the impacts of nearby industrial facilities and assess the potential effects on air quality in the area. Monitoring from the Bath fire station will help support MECP's oversite of the air quality of large industrial sites in the area such as the Lennox generation station, and Lafarge.

Coun. Carol Parks noted the importance of maintaining air quality in the township.

"I think it's something important, with a couple of the plants that are to the west of the village of Bath, to have this there and hopefully we can continue to improve the air quality." said Parks.

The air monitoring unit itself is approximately 2ft by 2ft, and will be protected by a 8 ft by 8 ft temporary fence. The ministry will be responsible for all costs of installation, and there will be no cost to the township other than hydro usage. The estimated cost of hydro for a one-year period is approximately $25.

Listen to the story below: