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What is WAQA?

WAQA Washington Air Quality Advisory Presented to the 2007 National Air Quality Conference by Sean Lundblad Washington State Department of Ecology Air Quality Program February 13, 2007 Orlando, FL. What is WAQA?.

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What is WAQA?

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  1. WAQA Washington Air Quality AdvisoryPresented to the 2007 National Air Quality Conferenceby Sean LundbladWashington State Department of EcologyAir Quality Program February 13, 2007Orlando, FL

  2. What is WAQA? • The Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA) is Washington’s “AQI-like” public information tool • WAQA is not AQI • Our website will state WAQA is not AQI

  3. What you will hear • Why we wanted an alternative to the AQI • What options we looked at • How we came up with the options • What the final choice was • Implementation (fingers crossed)

  4. Policy Implications • The Good • New 24-hour standard of 35 ug/m3 is more protective • Ecology has an air quality goal of 20 ug/m3 • The public is familiar with AQI • The Bad • New standard at the highest end of range of what CASAC recommended • EPA did not revise the annual standard • The Ugly • EPA has not updated the PM2.5 AQI • Current AQI is misleading in that it downplays health risks • Washington State has winter PM problems

  5. Policy Drivers • Health concerns should drive our actions • Providing accurate near-real-time information to the public is critical for the health of the citizens

  6. The Policy Choice: Washington wants a way to inform the public of PM2.5 health effects at lower levels than EPA

  7. How we got to WAQA • Examined logic behind current AQI breakpoints • Created new breakpoints based on CFR logic • Factored in results of health studies • Air Quality Program weighed policy issues and selected an option

  8. Examined logic behind current PM2.5 AQI Breakpoints Annual standard Old 24-hr standard

  9. Examined breakpoints • As % of old standard • As % change between categories • Tried to deviate as little as possible

  10. WAQA Options • Option 1: “Classic” interpretation of CFRs that is more protective than AQI • Options 2 & 3: Increasingly protective scenarios that reflect research indicating health effects; implement program goal • Option 4: Very protective scenario

  11. How did these options compare graphically?

  12. Nephelometer/Correlated PM2.5 Monitoring Sites Nephelometer/Correlated PM2.5 Monitoring Sites Nephelometer/Correlated PM2.5 Monitoring Sites 2005 2005 2005 Nephelometer Sites w/correlated PM2.5 Nephelometer Sites Nephelometer Sites w/correlated PM2.5 Nephelometer Sites Nephelometer Sites w/correlated PM2.5 Nephelometer Sites Twisp Cheeka Peak Seattle Seattle Lacey Lacey

  13. Would we ever be in the green (Good) with any of these options? YES!

  14. What Ecology elected to do • Combination of Option 3 and Option 2

  15. Why combine Options 3 & 2? • Option 4 harder to defend scientifically • Breakpoints of Option 3 more defensible except for Good/Mod breakpoint • CASAC-recommended annual standard (13 ug/m3 ) of Option 2 as Good/Mod breakpoint protective and defensible • Program goal of 20 ug/m3 for Mod/USG breakpoint

  16. When will it happen? SOON!!! • Decided to tie it to our new data acquisition system and website coming online very soon and • We have been letting our many partners know of the change • Ironing out how we will present WAQA on website

  17. Thank you: • Phyllis Baas – Ecology Air Quality Program Technical Services Section Manager • Sarah Rees – Ecology Air Quality Program Program Development Section Manager • Stan Rauh – SWRO & Air Quality Operations Unit Supervisor • Ecology Air Quality Program Leadership Team • Mike Dubois – Airshed Coordinator, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality • Rachel Sakata - Air Quality Planner, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality • 2007 National Air Quality Conference Planning Committee • Darby Veeck – Ecology GIS – Photos

  18. Questions? • slun461@ecy.wa.gov • 360-407-6843

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