Air Quality Air Quality & Prescribed Burning Smoke May 24, 2017 Smoke Management Review Committee Meeting Rachel Sakata| Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Why is smoke a concern? Health effects • Particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) • Air toxics (benzene, PAH) Key air quality components of smoke Health Effects 2
PM 2.5 standard (24-hour) 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 150 ug/m 3 20 65 ug/m 3 35 ug/m 3 0 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Neph network
Oregon’s PM 2.5 areas at risk of nonattainment (24-hr standard) Portland La Grande Nonattainment Prineville Areas Eugene Areas of Oakridge concern Burns Former nonattainment areas Medford Grants Pass Klamath Falls Lakeview
How can prescribed fire potentially affect air quality in communities? SMP is designed to prevent smoke from prescribed fires from entering communities, however at times: 1) Large contributions of smoke result in exceedances of the standard • Nonattainment concerns
How can prescribed fire potentially affect communities? 2) Small contributions of smoke in a community may contribute to levels that cause an exceedance of the standard 3) Even low levels of smoke well below the standard can have broader public health & welfare concerns • Impacts on vulnerable populations
Questions?
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