overview of two recent interagency air quality initiatives in the pacific northwest

Tonnie CummingsNational Park Service, Pacific West Region

[email protected]

National Tribal Forum on Air QualityMay 14, 2014

Overview of Two Recent Interagency Air Quality Initiatives in

the Pacific Northwest

Airborne Contaminants

WACAP

• The Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project (WACAP) was conducted from 2002-2007 to determine the risk from airborne contaminants in western national parks.

• It was designed as a screening study at a broad spatial and temporal scale.

fish

lake sediment

lichens

conifer needles

snow

water

air

WACAP

• Focus was on semi-volatile organic compounds and heavy metals:

• Historic use pesticides

• Current use pesticides

• Industrial/urban use compounds

• Combustion byproducts

• Mercury

WACAP Results

• Airborne contaminants were found in all WACAP parks.

• Levels of mercury and other contaminants in some fish samples exceeded wildlife and human health thresholds.

WACAP Results

from Landers et al., 2008

Post-WACAP• The National Park Service sponsored three regional

interagency workshops to explore ways to continue to address air toxins in national parks and other protected areas.• Pacific Northwest (PNW) workshop:• 10 U.S. and Canadian university, state and federal

organizations represented.• Attendees divided into three breakout groups to

identify and prioritize data needs. • All three breakout groups determined the top

priority was establishment of an interagency contaminants workgroup focused on issues in the PNW.

PNW Contaminants Workgroup

• The Workgroup formed in 2011 and meets every other month via conference call.•Workgroup objectives:• Develop a data clearinghouse and a forum to

facilitate collaboration and coordination of contaminant monitoring and research activities in the region.• Prioritize contaminant-related research and

monitoring needs in the PNW, collaborate on funding, and conduct monitoring and research projects.• Coordinate outreach efforts and products

related to contaminants issues in the region.

Accomplishments

• Developed a website that improves access to data.• Collaborative efforts have resulted in sharing of

archived samples and data as well as low cost/no cost sample analyses at agency laboratories.• Greatest benefit has been improved understanding

and building of relationships among agencies.

Website

http://wa.water.usgs.gov/projects/aircontamination/index.htm

Next Steps

• Encourage other organizations to become members of the PNW Contaminants Workgroup.

• Solicit data from others to add to the interactive map.

• Continue and expand on collaboration.

Nitrogen Deposition

Map of Federal/Tribal lands and air pollution sources in the PNW (produced by NPS 2014).Triangles indicate point sources greater than 100 tons/year of nitrogen oxides.

Why Focus on Nitrogen?• Nitrogen (N) is a pollutant of particular interest in the PNW

because:•While sulfur is the pollutant of most concern in the eastern

U.S., there are many more sources of N than of sulfur in the west•We are concerned about both nutrient enrichment and

acidification. Effects can include:• Changes in soil and water chemistry• Increase in invasive species• Decline in native species health, longevity and biodiversity• Negative effects on recreational

•We have resources with known or suspected sensitivity to N including high elevation lakes, alpine and sub-alpine soils and vegetation, desert grasses and lichens.

Critical Loads and Target Loads

• A critical load is based on studies or modeling and is the amount of pollution below which harmful environmental effects are not expected to occur.

• A target load identifies an acceptable amount of pollution and is based on policy, economic, temporal or other considerations. A target load may be higher or lower than a critical load.

Potential adverse effects from atmospheric N deposition in the PNW (produced by USFS, 2013).


Critical Load


Target Load?

Critical Load


Target Load?

Critical LoadTarget Load?

Strategy • The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and U.S.

Geological Survey are developing an approach to identify and use N critical loads and target loads to protect resources in the PNW.• Ideally, critical loads will be developed for several

biological resources and ecological endpoints. • First step is publication of a report that:• Summarizes available information about critical loads in the

PNW• Identifies current research efforts and prioritizes data needs• Data needs are prioritized regionwide and for each Level 1

ecoregion

Ecoregions in North America

From the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 1997

High Priority Data Needs in the PNW

• Regionwide• Improve accuracy of N deposition estimates• Explore interactions of N deposition and climate change• Determine N sensitivity of biological soil crusts

• Marine West Coast Forests and Northwestern Forested Mountains Ecoregions• Improve understanding of the sensitivity of high-elevation

lakes and streams to N deposition• Determine the influence of natural lake, stream and soil N

levels on critical loads• North American Deserts Ecoregion• Determine N sensitivity of several native and invasive plant

species

Strategy – Additional Steps

• Encourage and support N critical loads research.• Develop a common rationale for determining N target

loads.• Develop maps showing areas that exceed N critical loads

and/or target loads.• Solicit input from U.S EPA, state air quality agencies and

other stakeholders.• Implement use of N critical loads and target loads through

agency planning and policy mechanisms.•Work with stakeholders to identify sources that contribute

to N exceedances and achieve emission reductions.

Questions?

overview of two recent interagency air quality initiatives in the pacific northwest

Documents

contaminants issues

wacap parks

wildlife thresholds

human thresholds

western national parks

data needs

data clearinghouse

human health thresholds