Fort Air Partnership (FAP) has moved its portable continuous air monitoring station to a site near the Hamlet of Newbrook. It began reporting data in early February. The portable station was previously located in the Town of Lamont.
The portable station was moved near Newbrook to fill a gap of no continuous air monitoring being done historically in the northern region of the FAP Airshed. The nearest continuous air quality monitoring station is located in Redwater, 42 km away.
The Newbrook portable station is on the northern border of FAP. It will provide a good representation of the air quality leaving the FAP Airshed when there is a northerly airflow. The station is located six kilometres south of Newbrook. See the FAP Airshed map.
“The portable air monitoring station allows us to be responsive to air monitoring needs in the Airshed. Moving the portable station just south of Newbrook meets a key monitoring objective for FAP of conducting air monitoring where people live,” said Nadine Blaney, FAP’s Executive Director.
The portable station will collect and report data on nine different substances: sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ozone, non-methane hydrocarbons, methane and particulate matter. This data will enable a daily and forecast Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) calculation for the local area. Data analysis at the portable station will include comparisons to data generated by FAP’s other community stations. It will also provide weather information.
In addition to FAP’s live data feed, the portable station data will be shared via weekly AQHI reporting and quarterly and annual air quality monitoring reports.
The portable station will operate at the Newbrook site for one year.