Smoke Management and Air Quality

1. This document is contained within the Fire Management Toolbox on Wilderness.net. Since other related resources found in this toolbox may be of interest, you can visit this toolbox by visiting the following URL: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=toolboxes&sec=fire. All toolboxes are products of the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center.

2. Smoke Management and Air Quality Tools of the Trade Trent Wickman twickman@fs.fed.us 218-626-4372

3. Objectives • Discuss why you must consider smoke management as part of your burn operations. • Identify tools available to help you plan for, and communicate the impactsof smoke.

4. Particulate Matter A large portion of smoke particles are very small < PM 2.5 microns 70.0% 10.0% > PM 10 microns 20.0% PM 2.5-10 microns

5. > 100 microns

6. Particulate & the Respiratory Tract Larger Particles > 10 microns 5 microns Smoke 2-3 microns Smaller Particles 1 micron Alveolar Diffusion <0.1 microns

7. What are the particulates made of? Sulfates, nitrates, and organic aerosols are key manmade pollutants adversely affecting visibility and other resources on forests nationwide.

8. Why is smoke taken more seriously in different areas of the country?

9. as of 2002

11. …….. in Class I Areas

15. Why Plan and Communicate the Impacts of Smoke? • “What air quality issues will prohibit me from burning?” • “How will I know if I’ve exceeded some air quality threshold?” • “How will smoke affect me?” • “How will it affect the local community?”

16. Why Plan and Communicate the Impacts of Smoke? • Meet national and state ambient air quality standards (and other processes or rules) • Be sensitive to public concern • e.g. Air Quality Index • Retain relationships with air quality “partners” • Regulators, public, other land managers

17. Because we have to… • States establish strategies to achieve the Clean Air Act goals through a State Implementation Plan (SIP) approved by EPA. • State Smoke Management Plans (SMPs) are parts of the overall state SIP. • Remember – State air quality agencies are acting as EPA!!

18. Tools of the Trade • Weather-related predictions • Smoke Modeling • Smoke Monitoring

19. When? • NEPA  Burn Plan  Day of Burn

20. Atmospheric Dispersion Index (ADI)(this form Generally Used in SE) Generally burning not allowed Table 9.2 from Smoke Guide

22. FCAMMS • 2001 – January – The National Fire Plan establishes FCAMMS – Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke.

24. Atmospheric Dispersion Index 9-24-Rx410-EP

25. Tools of the Trade • Weather-related predictions • Smoke Modeling • Smoke Monitoring

26. Pre-modeling Questions • What do you want to do with the results? • NEPA document? • Burn Plan? • Burn Permit? • Threshold levels? • Adaptive Management • Documentation? • Go/No-Go Decision? • What state are you in? • What is agency policy? • Where are your sensitive areas? • Cumulative effects of other burns?

27. Types of Smoke Models • Emissions Production/Lookup Tables • Mass (e.g., tons of particulate/acre); • Dispersion • Concentration (e.g., micrograms of particulate/ cubic meter of air)

28. Emissions Production/Lookup Tables • Based on the acres &/or fuel load OR • emissions are calculated directly based on this info (e.g. FOFEM) • THEN determine the distance to sensitive receptors • Also similar screening techniques available using maps

29. What is Dispersion Modeling? A well defined system for communicating the impact of smoke on ambient air quality (which can include visibility). Takes the emissions generated from the land and using meteorology “disperses” them in the atmosphere.

30. Dispersion Modeling • NEPA Burn Plan  Day of Burn • SASEM • V-SMOKE-GIS • V-Smoke • Smoke Impact Spreadsheet

31. Dispersion Modeling • NEPA  Burn Plan  Day of Burn • Fire Consortia for Advanced Meteorological Modeling (FCAMMS) • BlueSky • PB-Piedmont • The Southern High-Resolution Modeling Consortium (SHRMC)

32. FCAMMS • 2001 – January – The National Fire Plan establishes FCAMMS – Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke.

33. Dispersion Modeling • NEPA  Burn Plan  Day of Burn http://www.fs.fed.us/bluesky/

34. Show EAMC animation

37. Smoke Modeling • References • NWCG Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire (2001 Edition) • Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Air (December 2002) • Smoke Management Techniques (Rx-410) (September 2003) • Help • Regional/Zone Smoke or Air Quality Specialist • Fire Consortia for Advanced Modeling of Meteorology and Smoke (FCAMMS)

38. Tools of the Trade • Weather-related predictions • Smoke Modeling • Smoke Monitoring

39. Smoke Monitoring • Photos • Satellite photos • Particulate monitors http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/

40. Current Particulate Monitors • History • 1998 USFS Air Program began at MTDC • Tasked to evaluate commercial, real-time PM2.5 smoke monitors • Portable • Rugged • Easy-to-use • Cost • Accurate or correctable estimates?

41. Current Particulate Monitors • History - 1998 through 2001 • RMRS Fire Lab Tests • Field Tests (chasing Rx smoke in 1999, wildfire smoke in 2000) • Outcome: • USFS purchased MIE DataRam for monitoring cache in Fort Collins • Ease of use • Correction Factor • Portability • Customer support

42. Current Particulate Monitors • New “promising” monitors • E-Sampler • Light scattering • 1/3 price of DataRam (about $4.5k) • EBAM • Technology the same as EPA- approved monitors for PM10 • Cost ~ $7.3k

43. Current Particulate Monitors • E-BAM – USFS Region 5 Program • 10 Portable E-BAMs • 3 BAM 1020s

44. Current Particulate Monitors • Interagency Real-Time Smoke Monitoring • http://www.satguard.com/usfs

49. Particles (PM2.5) - AQIhttp://www.airnow.gov/