WBEA Environmental Monitoring in the Regional Municipality of Wood BuffaloRegional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Carna MacEachern BSc., M.B.A.Executive DirectorExecutive Director

Kevin Percy Ph.D.Lead ScientistLead Scientist

Presentation to Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Networking Luncheon

Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre, April 14 1

Our Mission: “WBEA monitors air quality and air quality related environmental impacts to generate accurate and transparent information which enables stakeholders to make informed decisions”

We monitor air in the RMWB 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through air quality, t t i l i t l ff tterrestrial environmental effects, and human exposure monitoring programs

Multi-stakeholder, independent, objective , p , jand not for profit

Information collected is openly shared with stakeholders and the public

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WBEA MembersFirst Nations

Fort McKay First NationsFort McKay Métis Local #122

Environmental

Industry MembersCanadian Natural Resources LtdConoco Phillips Canada***C E IEnvironmental

Fort McMurray Environmental AssociationPembina Institute for Appropriate Development

***Cenovus Energy IncDevon Canada CorpHusky Energy Corp.Imperial Exxon-Mobile Oil

GovernmentAlberta EnvironmentAlberta Health ServicesEnergy Resources Conservation Board

MEG Energy CorpNexen IncShell Canada Energy IncSuncor Energygy

***Environment Canada***Health CanadaRegional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB)

Syncrude Canada LtdTotalWilliams Energy

( )

***new members

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WBEA Monitoring Programs

Air Quality Monitoring:Most extensive continuous ambient air network in Alberta

g g

Most extensive continuous ambient air network in Alberta

Land Monitoring:Terrestrial program detects characterizes and quantifies the impacts ofTerrestrial program detects, characterizes and quantifies the impacts of air emissions on terrestrial ecosystems and traditional land resources

Human Monitoring:Human Monitoring:Redesigned to respond to current air quality issues related to odours, while meeting human exposure monitoring requirements found in industry approvals

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Program SupportTechnical•Data QA/QC•Database Development &

Business•Communications & Outreach•Accountingp

Management•Strategic Planning (5 Year)

g•Business Planning•Contracting•LegalLegal

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WBEA has been responsive and adaptive• Additional staff including a lead scientist and atmospheric

chemistchemist.• New office space• Forward-looking, science-based monitoring

M i f li t bi t i lit it i• Moving from compliance to ambient air quality monitoring while retaining regulatory reporting role

• Supported by high quality, international scientific team• Enabled by significant new investment by industry ($2.5 M to

>$9 M yearly)

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WBEA Science Team 2011 • WBEA

– Science Staff: Dr. Kevin Percy, Dr. Yu-Mei Hsu– Science Advisors: Dr. Allan Legge, Dr. Doug Maynard (NRCan)gg , g y ( )– Air Technical QA/QC: Sanjay Prasad, Gary Cross– Data management: Martin Hansen, Eric Nosal– Terrestrial: Veronica Chisholm, Amanda Horning, Dr. Ken Foster– Science Communication: Jane Percy, Melissa Pennell

• WBEA contracted scientistsC d– Canada

• Dr. Bernard Mayer, University of Calgary• Dr. Milo Nosal, University of Calgary• Mr Tom Dann (Head Air Toxics Environment Canada Ottawa

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Mr. Tom Dann, (Head, Air Toxics, Environment Canada, Ottawa, retired 2010)

WBEA Science Team (cont’d)United States– United States

• Drs John Watson, Judy Chow and Xiaoliang Wang, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV

• Dr. Sagar Krupa, University of MinnesotaD M L di EPA ORD RTP NC• Dr. Matt Landis, EPA-ORD, RTP, NC

• Dr. Eric Edgerton, ARA, RTP, NC• Dr. Joe Graney, Binghamton University, NY• Dr. R. K. M. Jayanty, Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NCDr. R. K. M. Jayanty, Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NC• Dr. Joel Blum, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI• Dr. Bill Studebaker, Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NC• Dr. Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Forest Service, Riverside, CA

D M k F F t S i Ri id CA• Dr. Mark Fenn, Forest Service, Riverside, CA• Dr. Witold Fraczek, ESRI, Redlands, CA• Dr. Bob O’Brien, Portland State University, Portland, OR• Dr. Dale Vitt, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, y , p g ,• Drs. Kelman Wieder, Melanie Vile, Villanova University, PA

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WBEA Science Team (cont’d)EuropeEurope– Dr. Neil Cape, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK– Dr. Sirkku Manninen, University of Helsinki

• Scientists collaborating and Science Advisors– Drs. Cris Mihele, Jeff Brook, Tom Harner, Bob Vet, Environment

Canada,Downsview, ONCanada,Downsview, ON– Brian Wiens, Rachel Mintz, Dr. Magda Scarlatt, Environment Canada,

Edmonton– Dr. Ted Hogg, NRCan-CFS, Edmontongg– Dr. Ken van Rees, University of Saskatchewan– Dr. Mike Miller, Argonne National Laboratory– Dr. Sandy McLaughlin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory y g g y– Dr. Tom Nash III, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI– Dr. Dale Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 9

Transparent and Accessible Science

• Our science team has:*– 3,374 peer-reviewed career publications

• Data availability– Raw continuous air quality data 1 hour old at www.wbea.org– AQI every hour (AQHI in June 2011) at www.wbea.org– Annual reports at www.wbea.org (trends, passive, integrated data)– Peer-reviewed publications, reports at www.wbea.org– Interim reports available to members at www.wbea.org

*reported to Alberta Environmental Monitoring Panel Secretariat March 25 10

Continuous and Time-Integrated Monitoring for Compliance and Ambient Air Qualityfor Compliance and Ambient Air Quality

111111

WBEA operates 15 Air Stations

121212

Air Quality Monitoring

Types of Measurements• Continuous

– SO2, NOx, NH3, PM2.5, O3, H2S/TRS, THC, CO, met.

– 2 tall met. towers • Time integrated

– PM10, metals, PAH, VOC• Specialized

– PFGC (TRS, VOC, HC)– Trace SO2, NOx, NH3

• Pilot projects– ASPS, E-nose, passive

validation and comparison

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Accessing air data at www.wbea.org

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WBEA Specialized Measurements

151515

Ambient Ion Chemistry

AIMAMS#1AMS#1

(b) HNO3

m3 )

1 5

2.0(a) HNO2

m3 )

3

4

cent

ratio

n ( µ

g/m

1.0

1.5

cent

ratio

n ( µ

g/m

2

3

0 4 8 12 16 20

Con

c

0.0

0.5

0 4 8 12 16 20

Con

c

0

1

161616

Hour0 4 8 12 16 20

Hour0 4 8 12 16 20

Hsu & Landis 2010 

A Significant Air Quality Issue; DUST!A Significant Air Quality Issue; DUST!

171717

Concern of Fort McKay Community Members during October 17-18 Berry Workshop

Sequential Dichot Pilot Study• Objectives

– Fine and Coarse PM (ranges and ratios)( g )– Major Elements (mass balance/imbalance)– Detectability and Variability of Minor/Trace Elements

Photochemistry h l dPhotochemistryand 

Combustion

Mechanical and Biological Processes

181818

Fine and Coarse PMJuly 2010

PM2 5 PMcoarse %Fine

80

100

50

60

PM2.5 PMcoarse %Fine

Wild Fires?Fine = 9.67 µg/m3

0 87‐51 4)

60

30

40

0.87 51.4)

Coarse = 9.01 µg/m3

(1.6‐20.9)

20

40

20LD (2 σ) = 0.15 µg/m3

00

10

7/2/2010 7/5/2010 7/8/2010 7/11/2010 7/14/2010 7/17/2010 7/20/2010 7/23/2010 7/26/2010 7/29/2010

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Measurement of K and/or K/Al ratios will confirm fires. 

19E. Edgerton (unpublished) 

T t i l E i t l Eff t M it iTerrestrial Environmental Effects Monitoring (TEEM) Program

2020

The challenge: Environmental monitoring in a remote b l iboreal region

2121

Photo: Athabasca Oil Sands from 38,000 ft. (Legge, 2007)

Pollutant pathway and WBEA activitiesEmissions

SOURCEcharacterization, apportionment

D iti dry wet bulk

Ho

Transformation photochemistry, aerosol formation

Deposition

Transfer to terrestrial

dry, wet, bulk ours daDeposition velocity/flux

Effects on Individuals

Eff A bl

foliar, tree, mosses, lichens, soil biology

ays ye

Effects on Assemblages

Biogeochemistry

Stand, bog, composition, condition

N, S, C, H2O, major ions, metals

ears d

Bioaccumulation

Structure and Function pollution, insects, climate, resilience, health

traditional food quality

decades

Hydrology

SINK22

We are calculating “Real‐World” emission factors for emission inventory reporting y p g

232323

Dilution sampling for fixed sourcesNovel portable emissions monitoring system  for heavy haulers Watson et al. 2010 

DRI filter pack and VOC canister

242424

Wang et al. 2010. AWMA Speciality Conference, Xian, China, May  11‐14, 2010

Heavy Hauler Emissions October 2009

Tail Pipe CO2 (ppm)

0200004000060000

4e+7Number

Concentration(cm-3)

01e+72e+73e+74e+7

Black Carbon40

Black CarbonConcentration

(mg/m3)0

20

PM2.5 Concentration3 20

3040

(mg/m3)01020

CO(ppm) 200

400600

0

NOx

(ppm)02004006008001000

252525

IdleDump Dump Dump Dump

Load Load Load Load

Chow, J. et al. 2010 

Measuring Deposition in the Remote Boreal Forest

Ion exchange resinsIon exchange resins

Passive monitoring

6

5

4(ppb

)

(a) JPH4 Yt = 1.554 + 0.349t

Passive monitoring

3

2

1C

once

ntra

tion

MAPE 14.0295MAD 0.4482MSD 0.2881

Accuracy Measures

ActualFits

20092008200720062005200420032002200120000

Year

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Ecologically Analogous Plots Across Deposition Zones

30 m, 4 level met and inputs

Co-measurement and regional

25 new plots

COTAG

tripod

Early-warning and flux 27

Davies, M. (2010). Report to WBEA

Source Apportionment/Receptor Modeling: Li ki i i t tLinking emissions to receptors

N% in lichens

Berryman et al. 2010 

282828

Full Study Results Available May 23

359 sites sampled in 2008Graney et al. (2010) pilot study results

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MOU for the Study of Airborne PAH, Hg and Metals

PAH passives 15 sites

Hg at WBEA AMS #6

PAH passives 15 sites

Dry and wet PAH deposition

at WBEA AMS #5, 11, 13

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Human Exposure Monitoring Program

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AAAQO: 1 hr 10 ppb, 24 h 2 ppb H2S

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What species contribute to odours: Semi-continuous VOC, HC, RSC measurement in Fort McKay 2010?

Pneumatically-focused gas

canister

chromatography at AMS 1 Fort McKay

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Continuous VOC ChromatogramsContinuous VOC Chromatogramsin the Oil Sands Region

Compound identification and Confirmationp

Odour WorkshopOdour Workshop

• April 13, Sawridgep g• Over 50 attendees from Fort McKay First Nations,

ENGO, industry, GOA, WBEA. Presentations given: Od ti d t Od t h– Odour perception and measurement - Odotech

– Measurement, reporting of Exceedance of AAAQO - WBEA– Results of new odour compound speciation - WBEA– New Air Quality Health Index – AENV– Community odour compound sampling – Fort McKay

U i WBEA S i O t hUpcoming WBEA Science Outreach

International Symposium “Alberta Oil Sands: Energy Industry and the

www.apworkshop.org

• International Symposium Alberta Oil Sands: Energy, Industry and the Environment”– May 23– 12 invited papers 1 hr Panel Discussion– 12 invited papers, 1 hr Panel Discussion– Book (19 chapters) published 2012 in Elsevier Developments in

Environmental Science Series • 43rd Air Pollution Workshop43 Air Pollution Workshop

– May 24-25 oral presentations– Field Trip May 26

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Thank You

www wbea org38

www.wbea.org