EPA

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EPAs Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy Capitas
Recent Activities Consistent with this Strategy
What we are doing
Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy
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Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy

• By Rich Scheffe
• Presented at

• Why?
• What are the assumptions/constraints?
• What are the operating principles?
• What is it?
• How will it be accomplished?
• Who will do it?
• What will it cost?
• When will it be done?
• How does air toxics fit in?

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Why?
CAPITA Document Megatrends Related to PM2.5 and
Ozone

• National investment gt 100M annually
• optimize resourceslook for savings to support
  new needs
• Major changes since original (late 70s) network
  designs
• air quality (typically lower levels of crit.
  Pollutants)
• scientific findings and needs directing new
  measurements
• e.g. PM2.5, PM coarse, PM UF, toxics, Nitrogen,
  etc. (PAMS)
• regionality and integration
• technological advances
• automated, optical, continuous, artifact free,
  miniaturized, highly resolved, multi-parameterins
  trumentation (at reduced operational expense
• monitoring community roles/communications
• science reviews/advice (NAS, CASAC)
• partnerships (Supersites, NARSTO)
• ORD divestment in routine programs
• Substantial criticism (NAS, NARSTO, GAO, OSTP,
  States)

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Our Current Network Strategy(It Just Grewand
Grew)

• 3081 Sites Nationwide
• 4920 monitors
• 3480 collocated
• 1440 single pollutant
• 300 TSP

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Criteria Pollutant Sampling SitesNote an
Abundance of Low Reporting Sites

• In

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Figure 1 - PAMS Data Completeness -CY-98

• By EPA Regional Office
• As of July 8, 1999

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Summary of Concerns(Note Ambient Air Data
Produced by State and Local Agencies May Be the
Most Valuable Environmental Databasebut It Can
Be Better)

• Data are not fully utilized and/or valued
• lack of analysis and interpretation
• millions of data pointsmany suspected to be
  meaningless
• Inadequate integration across
• separate programs, not optimized to complement
  one another
• data generators and users (modelers, analysts,
  planners)
• Apparent excess of criteria sites (NO2, CO, SO2,
  PM10, Pb)
• many reporting low values
• Abundance of old technology
• requiring substantial operator involvement
• often with inadequate resolution
• Missing key locations and species
• lack of regional coverage
• missing true NO2, NOy, HNO3, NH3, toxics, PM
  coarse, PM UF...

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Where Are We Going?Over the Next 3-7 Years
CAPITA Document AQ Management from Systems
Analysis Perspective
In addition to retaining core objectives (NAAQS
comparisons, trends)

• 3000 (now) to less than 2000 sites nationally
• better job at fewer sites
• leaner PAMS focused on meeting accountability
  objective
• emphasis on type 2 emissions tracking sites
• only episodic, less frequent sampling at other
  sites coinciding with planned modelingi.e., the
  data will be used
• substantial changes in PM monitoring
• elimination of PM10
• reduction in PM2.5 mass (as dictated by review)
• reduction in filter based samplers
• increase in cont. technologiesmass and
  speciation
• PM coarse network (PM10-PM5) 100-500 sites
• air toxics network
• enhanced regional/rural monitoring
• e.g., N sampling for NOx SIP calls

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Where Are We Going?Cont.

• Network assessments are performed continuously
• based on changing priorities, data analysis needs
  and findings
• value of data probed and challenged, and
  discontinued as needed
• strong partnership across EPA, States, Academia,
  Industry
• e.g., Supersite type programs...
• Continued science advice replacing after program
  review
• e.g., speciation expert panel
• increased flexibility
• to allow states to meet specific needs
• enable responsive system to changing priorities
• e.g., more short term monitoring

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Where Are We Going?Integrated Networks E.G.,
Toxics
CAPITA Document Air Quality Data Integration and
Living Data Inventory
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What Are the Operating Principles?

• Partnership across EPA and State/local agencies
• Flexibility to balance between national
  (consistency) and local needs
• e.g., PM2.5 speciation, air toxics
• CAPITA Document National and Local AQ Analysis
• Integrateacross pollutants and programs
• Demonstrate data valueor lose it
• CAPITA Document CAPITA PM and Ozone Analysis
• CAPITA Document CAPITA Tools Methods for AQ
  Analysis
• CAPITA Document PM Analysis Workbook in Support
  of SIPS
• Respond dynamicallyto needs and
  science/technological change
• CAPITA Document PM Analysis Website and
  Repository
• Geographic equitytransition downscaling
• Approximately level funding

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What Are the Obstacles?

• Public concerns (I want my monitor)
• Inertia from large infrastructure
• Organizational
• Compartmentalized data user-data generator groups
• Tendency to build, and not review/assess
• Resource burden
• Infinite client baseconsensus difficult

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What Is the Strategy?

• Comprehensive review and rethinking of national
  monitoring programs
• a systematic review of monitoring programs to
  determine
• what is working
• what is excess
• what are the integrating/complementary pieces
• what needs to be added
• acts on those findings
• and institutes such actions to create a dynamic
  and responsive program to new priorities and
  objectives
• scope (1o) criteria pollutants, PAMS,
  toxicsi.e., EPA air and S/Ls

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How Will This Be Accomplished?

• Through assessments of monitoring programs
• which ask probing questions
• is monitoring meeting program and data quality
  objectives
• are the data being used
• what is the value
• guide divestments (and investments) based on
  objective analyses
• through communications
• usual networks
• plusNARSTO, science meetings, special workshops
• pluscommunications strategy to alleviate public
  concerns

CAPITA Document PM Website ??
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Who Will Do It?

• Assessment pieces
• S/L agencies - internal agency level assessments
• EPA ROs - workgroups to inventory network
  reviews, data analysis activities and
  review/modify monitoring regs. (Seitz 9/99 memo
  to RO ADDs)
• new integrated scientific/objective assessment
• air toxics concept paper and analysis/design
  effect
• OAQPS RO MSRs
• PAMS assessment
• Assessment workgroup
• EPA (OAQPS, RO, ORD), S/Ls
• assimilate activities
• manage new assessment
• Management leadership
• institutionalize assessments, data usage, and
  program integration

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Oversight Structure
Executive Oversight EPA OAR, ORD designates S/A
designate
Science Input/Review Independent??
Steering Committee EPA OAR, RO, ORD S/A, SAMWG
Assessment Team EPA OAR, ORD, S/A
Product groups S/L assessments EPA assessment
workgroup EPA Reg review group Extramural tasks
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What Will It Cost?

• Significant staff time and commitment (EPA, S/L
  agencies)
• EMAD2-5 dedicated FTEs
• ESD, AQSSD, ITPID, OD
• substantial personnel/staff time participation on
  committees, review, etc.
• travel/communications
• this will require dropping other activities
• initial 500K investment for objective assessment
  (new request)

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What Is the Schedule?
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What Are the Next Steps?

• Establish assessment groupnow
• SAMWG meeting10/04
• develop SOW for integrated assessment
• activate RO workgroups
• push/sell/market through all venues...

Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy