Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 18/02) - Keeping children safe at school is a priority for all parents but few know students' health could be at risk because of exhaust fumes says a local environmental group.

According to the NWT Climate Change Centre, a division of the Arctic Energy Alliance, students are forced to walk through a noxious chemical cloud every day they go to school.

The harmful plume is being created by exhaust fumes from idling vehicles and buses that are dropping students off and picking them up from school.

"In the winter it just stays low to the ground and kids walk through it all the time," said Jennifer Sanders, communications officer for the Arctic Energy Alliance.

Not only do students walk through the clouds filled with carbon monoxide, diesel fumes and a host of other pollutants that are known to cause asthma, lung cancer and other serious respiratory problems, she said, the gasses also seep into schools.

"You can still smell cigarette smoke in the non-smoking area, it's the same thing," said Sanders.

Those chemicals are then recycled in the school's ventilation system, which is potentially harmful to children whose lungs are still developing.

"Children breathe 50 per cent more air per pound than adults because they breathe faster," said Sanders.

In response to this potential health risk Sanders is going to the local school boards and the busing companies to propose that drop off zones around schools be idle-free zones.

In other words when dropping off or picking up students vehicles and buses must have their engines turned off.

She is also beginning an anti-idling action group for people concerned about this issue.

"People say they hate it but they never do anything about it," said Sanders.

The group will help facilitate that process.

Sanders said she is hopeful she will be successful in her drive to for idle-free zones around schools, which will lead the way to further gains in pollution reduction.