air quality update wind river mountains
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Air Quality Update Wind River Mountains. Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests May, 2008. Objectives. GYACAP and assessment Wind River Range network Monitoring network data analysis NADP high elevation lakes bulk deposition visibility Ozone challenges and modeling results - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Air Quality UpdateAir Quality Update
Wind River Mountains Wind River Mountains
Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests
May, 2008
ObjectivesObjectives
• GYACAP and assessment• Wind River Range network • Monitoring network data analysis
– NADP– high elevation lakes– bulk deposition– visibility
• Ozone challenges and modeling results• Status of coordination efforts• Workload• Discussion and questions
GYACAP and AssessmentGYACAP and Assessment
• GYACAP and purpose– Technical advisory group to GYCC– Forum for communication– Coordination of monitoring
• Assessment and purpose– Identify and address issues– Foster partnerships and secure funding
Assessment SummaryAssessment Summary
• Membership– Park Service, Forest Service, BLM, Fish and
Wildlife Service, State DEQs (ID, MT, WY)
• Issues– Urban and industrial emissions– Oil and gas development in SW Wyoming– Prescribed fire and wildfire smoke– Snowmobile emissions
Wind River MountainsWind River Mountains
Monitoring NetworkMonitoring Network
• NADP– Gypsum Creek– Pinedale– South Pass– Mercury (South Pass)
• Other Monitoring– CASTNet (Pinedale)– WARMS (Pinedale)– Quasi-IMPROVE (South
Pass)– WY DEQ Ambient Air
Monitors and Cameras (3)
• Long-term Lakes– Hobbs– Black Joe– Deep– Upper Frozen– Saddlebag– Ross
• IMPROVE– Aerosol (Pinedale)– Transmissometer (Pinedale)– Camera (Pinedale)
• Bulk Deposition– Hobbs– Black Joe
North Winds NetworkNorth Winds Network
Middle Winds NetworkMiddle Winds Network
South Winds NetworkSouth Winds Network
2008 Status of Oil & Gas2008 Status of Oil & GasDevelopments in SW WYDevelopments in SW WY
NADPNADP
NADP TrendNADP Trend
Site NH4 NO3 SO4 Inorg-N
South Pass
Up --- Down Up
Gypsum Creek
Up --- Down Up
Pinedale Up --- Down Up
Summary of South Pass DataSummary of South Pass Data
• NH4 is on an upward trend and has basically doubled at most sites
• NO3 shows no trend but values have increased substantially in winter, spring and fall seasons
• SO4 is on a downward trend and has decreased by 25-50%
• Inorg-N shows no trend at 95% level but upward trend at 90%, which is a concern
High Elevation LakesHigh Elevation Lakes
Lake Chemistry TrendLake Chemistry TrendLake Location ANC NO3 SO4
Black Joe Inlet Up Up ---
Outlet Up Up Up
Epilimnion --- --- ---
Hypolimnion Up Up ---
Deep Inlet --- Up ---
Outlet --- --- Down
Epilimnion --- --- Down
Hypolimnion --- --- Down
Hobbs Inlet --- Up Down
Outlet Down --- ---
Epilimnion --- --- Down
Hypolimnion --- --- Down
Lower Saddlebag Inlet Down Up ---
Outlet --- --- ---
Epilimnion Down --- ---
Hypolimnion --- Up ---
Ross Inlet Down Up ---
Outlet Down --- Down
Epilimnion Down --- ---
Hypolimnion Down --- Down
Summary of Lake DataSummary of Lake Data
• ANC is on a downward trend– Perhaps explained by upward NO3 trend– Magnitude of change at Ross Lake a real concern– Black Joe Lake is an exception
• NO3 is on an upward trend– Upward trend at lake inlets and no trend at outlets a
real concern relative to eutrophication
• SO4 is on a downward trend– Perhaps due to reduction in use of high-sulphur diesel
Bulk DepositionBulk Deposition
Deposition TrendDeposition TrendTotal Nitrogen (N as NH4 + NO3) Deposition
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
Year
Nit
rog
en
De
po
sit
ion
(K
g/H
a/Y
r)
Total Sulfur (S) Deposition
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Year
Su
lfu
r D
ep
osit
ion
(K
g/H
a/Y
r)
Summary of Bulk Deposition DataSummary of Bulk Deposition Data
• Above average total N and S at Hobbs and Black Joe Lake sites for 2005.
• Same high values at Black Joe Lake for 2006.• Total N
– Black Joe Lake 2005 & 2006 = 3.74 & 3.79 kg/ha/yr(Average total N = 2.66 kg/ha/yr)
– Hobbs Lake 2005 & 2006 = 3.66 & 2.44 kg/ha/yr(Average Total N = 2.30 kg/ha/yr)
Bulk Deposition (cont.)Bulk Deposition (cont.)
• Rocky Mtn. NP has established a “critical load” for N deposition of 1.5 kg/ha/yr.– Changes in Lake Diatom Communities Affecting Lake Function
• BTNF N deposition is > 2x that level some years.
• BTNF average N depositions are 50-75% greater than NPS critical load.
• Need to conduct more studies on BTNF.• BTNF looking to adopt that critical load.
IMPROVEIMPROVE
Summary of IMPROVE DataSummary of IMPROVE Data
• Visibility has improved slightly since 2002, however:– Pinedale site is not ideally located for
monitoring impacts from nearby developments.
– Securing a new monitor for monitoring maximum impact from developments. (2008)
– Modeling for NEPA projects show visibility impacts are occurring.
Ozone ChallengesOzone Challenges
• Ozone Issues(2005, 2006 and 2008)– State issued 5 ozone warnings in February and March 2008– Exceeded old standard 7 times and new standard 14 times– 3 year average may place the area in “Non-Attainment”– May affect human health, visibility and plant growth on the
Forest
• Ozone Study (2007 and 2008)– Need to re-think science of ozone formation – not just a warm
weather event
• Ammonia Study (2007 and 2008)
NEPA Modeling FindingsNEPA Modeling Findings
• Visibility – show days of impairment in Class I areas (PAPA 2000-2005 45 days > 1 dv, cumulative 77-88 days)
• PM 10 – levels nearing Class I Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Significant Impact Level (SIL)
• NOx – emissions higher than originally modeled (PAPA 2000 693.5 tpy vs 2005 3,512 tpy, 5 x higher)
• Ozone – models predict levels exceeding new NAAQS
Concern SummaryConcern Summary
• Visibility degradation in Class I areas
• Lake chemistry changes
• Increasing nitrogen deposition
• Ozone
• Scale and pace of oil and gas development
Coordination EffortsCoordination Efforts
• Wyoming DEQ-AQD
• EPA
• BLM
• Industry
FS workloadFS workload
• Continue existing monitoring
• Add additional monitoring
• Continue review of upwind NEPA efforts
• Continue dialogue with industry, State, and Federal agencies
• Solidify critical loads documentation
• If needed, certify impairment of wilderness values
Questions/DiscussionQuestions/Discussion