National Monitoring Steering Committee Report

National Monitoring Steering Committee Report Gordon Pierce WESTAR Spring Business Meeting San Francisco, CA May 22, 2013

Funding • Sequester will have impacts • No Community-Scale grants planned for this year • Funds pulled for near-road NO2 • NATTS funding will continue at same level • No funding for NOx/SOx secondary NAAQS pilot studies • Concerns from states on grant process and the length of time that actually have to spend funds, especially when funds are late in being transmitted

Community/Citizen Monitoring • 2nd workshop held at RTP in March 2013 • Lot of new technologies upcoming • Small • Easy to use • Some have good accuracy/quality • Data readily available via internet • Need better coordination on sensor apps • Need better communication with communities • Desire to develop a resource webpage as a clearinghouse for sensors, technologies, specs/performance, sampling info, FAQs, data, etc.

Future of CSN and IMPROVE • PM2.5 Speciation and IMPROVE networks not sustainable with current funding and increasing lab costs • Number of conference calls with IMPROVE on possible cuts…some made already…more to come? • With CSN: • EPA is doing some assessments on data and networks • Looking at sampler upgrades to reduce personnel costs • Looking at lab cost options

PAMS Re-engineering • EPA still looking at changing the PAMS network • Reduce number of sites • Add PAMS in ozone non-attainment areas • 26 “Required” sites • O3, NOx, VOC’s (via Auto-GC for 27+ compounds) • Upper air met? • Some “flexible/secondary” sites • O3, NOx • Auto-GC shootout will occur • Data analysis work, including updating tools • Propose changes with upcoming ozone NAAQS

National Air Toxics Trends Stations • First multi-year assessment report released • 2005-2007 vs. 2008-2010 • Next one in 2013 • Overall, a decreasing trend for a number of air toxics • Data very useful for NATA modeling validation, trends and health risk benchmarks • NATTS Technical Assistance Document needs revision, but is a big task • Some Data Quality Objectives need to be adjusted • Cr+6 will be dropped as a core compound

CASTNET • All 2012 PE audits were performed • TSAs performed for both lab and field operations • All ozone analyzers are “regulatory” • Since 2011 • All data going into AQS • Can/will be used for designations • EPA starting monthly calls with Regional Offices • Need to include states • Need to improve communications in general • EPA will start informing states of high ozone values on CASTNET monitors

Airport Pb • 19 airports with > 0.5 TPY estimated Pb emissions • Most monitoring shows low concentrations • 4 have values > 50% of the NAAQS (all in CA) • 2 of the 4 exceed the NAAQS • Endangerment findings likely • Monitoring has been problematic as: • Can’t get a good max concentration location • Questions on what is ambient air…runway vs. fenceline • Many sites likely to close as meet the NAAQS

Next MSC meeting June 19-20, 2013 in Vermont Questions?

National Monitoring Steering Committee Report