Editor, The News:
Re: Carbon credits bigger scam than AirCare (Letters, April 12).
In Michael Boileau’s regarding the impact of carbon credit purchases on Fraser Health, he made a flippant remark about AirCare, calling it a ‘scam’.
I’d like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
According to Metro Vancouver, light duty vehicles are still responsible for 18 per cent of the smog-forming emissions in this region, the single largest source. The AirCare program is designed to monitor the oldest vehicles in the fleet and identify those that have developed an emissions-related defect.
In 2012, AirCare testing identified almost 40,000 such vehicles. Repairs performed on these vehicles reduced their emission output and helped to preserve the quality of the air we all breathe. Cleaner air means fewer hospital visits for respiratory issues and reduced health care costs.
Characterizing AirCare as a scam is at odds with the fact that it is a user-pay system, entirely self-supported by test fees, that uses no tax dollars to operate and transfers no revenue to its lead agencies.
David Gourley, general manager
AirCare Program, Burnaby
