Strategy Description:

The goal of this strategy is to better utilize existing data and monitoring activities to detect subtle changes in air quality/air quality trends and to raise public understanding and awareness of the health of the community’s air.

Key Components:

• Provide air quality education.

• Understand the relationship of the region’s topographic setting and air quality. Parallel running ridges and valleys characterize the Mid-Bald Eagle Watershed. This physical landform has been shown to cause nocturnal, or thermal, inversions where dense cool air is trapped beneath a layer of less dense, warm air. This condition reduces the ability of air currents to disperse air pollutants from local pollution sources such as vehicles, home heating and industry. Given this existing condition it is important for the region to recognize how the physical environment plays a role in exacerbating air pollution conditions and advocates a better program of monitoring the region’s air quality conditions and trends.

• Increase public awareness of air quality through educational activities and increased exposure to air quality data and air quality issues.

• Encourage school students to utilize the new Air Quality Learning Facility (to be completed in 2002), by PSU at the site of the new Arboretum.

• Report "ozone action days", days of high and unhealthy levels of ozone, and actions to be taken in the local newspaper and on radio stations.

• Include air quality links in the web sites of local conservation organizations such as the Spring Creek Watershed Community (www.springcreekwatershed.org) and link to web sites such as the Forestry Effects Laboratory website: www.psu.edu/dept/airpollforeff or the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) air quality monitoring website: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/aq/aqm/airmon.html

• Use DEP performance standards for air quality (the number of days and number of Pennsylvanians affected when air quality does not meet health standards).

• Monitor air quality.

• Begin with an understanding of existing monitoring resources. Several air quality monitoring stations exist in the region. Establishment of a new air quality monitoring station and management cost is significant. At this juncture it is better to utilize existing facilities and existing and historic data. These existing facilities include:

• A new monitoring facility located at the site of the future arboretum. This facility will become an Air Quality Learning Center expected to be open in spring 2002. This facility will monitor ground level ozone, large and fine particulate, sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, etc. The center will also have biological indicators – plants susceptible to pollutants, particularly ozone, such as black cherry and tulip poplar.

• Scotia Air Quality Monitoring Site. This 30 year old facility measures 168 air quality parameters and is one of the oldest and highest quality monitoring stations in the country. Its isolated location, upwind from State College, makes it a good clean air reference.

• Rock Springs Agriculture Research Station. This station monitors agricultural pollutants, such as herbicide application, ozone, and solar radiation.

• Expand the monitoring capability of the Air Quality Learning Center to measure all the principal pollutants, including lead.

• Use existing data and resources.

• Obtain sufficient air quality baseline information at the new arboretum site (Air Quality Learning Center) for comparison after I-99 opens.

• Use the long-term air quality data collected at the Scotia site to observe long-term change and trends for the region. Review historic air quality data on days when the station is downwind from State College and the Centre Region to quantify air quality change over the last 30 years.

• Utilize Penn State faculty and students for projects such as ozone level (Ozone Alert Day) predications and historic analysis of air quality data.

The community will benefit from any program that would raise awareness of air quality issues and information on the region’s air quality and air quality trends. Local organizations and schools can take immediate advantage of the Air Quality Learning Center once it is complete in early 2002.

Implementation:

Air Quality is difficult to address since local air quality is affected by larger regional and cultural issues. The air quality of the study area is influenced by urban centers and energy generating plants in the Midwest and other locations far away. In spite of this it is important to recognize actions we can take locally to address this issue.

• Organize an air-quality task force to move the program forward and to select the lead organization or individual for implementation.

• Implement an Air Quality Educational Program. Recognize the link between efficient community design, convenient intermodal transportation systems, mixed use development, and pedestrian friendly environments and air quality.

• Plant a tree. Trees decrease temperature and improve air quality. Encourage tree planting and reforestation efforts in both downtowns and urban areas and as part of stream restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, and open space protection activities.

Indicators:

• DEP Performance Standards for Air Quality (number of days and number of Pennsylvanians affected when air quality does not meet health standards)

• Air quality changes from baseline measures in advance of I-99 completion

• Air quality changes quantified from historic data obtained at the Scotia Monitoring Station

• Number of trees planted and percent increase in woodland / forest land within the study area

• Number of local organizations and individuals utilizing the Air Quality Learning Center

• PA Department of Environmental Protection
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• Susquehanna Valley Ozone Action Partnership