History

The West Central Airshed Society (WCAS) set up the first airshed management zone in Alberta.  Since its establishment in February 1995, three more airshed monitoring zones have been created in the province and others are being planned.  Each airshed zone is independent, but operates under the umbrella of the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA).

The aim of the regional airshed management is to monitor air quality and seek remedies for air quality problems within a region.  In the West Central Airshed Zone, the potential impact of air quality on soil acidity, crops and forests was a major concern.  The bio-monitoring research project has been collecting data for five years and should require only one more year before results can be fully analyzed.

The WCAS is a non-profit society established under the Societies Act of Alberta.  The Society's volunteer Board of Directors has representatives from agriculture, electrical utilities, gas transmission, oil and gas producers, forestry, municipal and provincial governments and environmental non-government organizations.

The Society's work is funded by contributions from major industries operating in the region, with the amount paid being proportional to a company's contribution to air pollution.  Other members including municipalities contribute in kind as well as monetary contributions.