National Park Service Gaseous Air Pollutant Monitoring Network: Yellowstone National Park. Annual Data Summary

摘要

Gaseous air pollutants, including ozone and sulfur dioxide, are of concern to the National Park Service (NPS). Pollutants like these can affect park unit biological resources as well as the health of park unit residents and visitors. The NPS established a gaseous pollutant monitoring program for several pollutants linked to effects on NPS resources. This program was designed to meet certain resource management objectives. The primary objective of this monitoring program is to establish the status and trends of park unit air quality conditions and to determine if a park unit is exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect public health and welfare. In addition, such monitoring is designed to detect changes or trends in pollution levels over time. A monitoring station may also be established if there is documented biological injury due to air pollution in a park unit. Information on ambient air pollution levels is an important part of research on effects of air pollutants on NPS resources, and can help confirm suspected causes of observed effects. Other monitoring objectives call for the collection of data to support the National Park Service's required involvement in both the development of state air quality control plans, and the evaluation of permit applications for new or expanding air pollution sources wishing to locate near park units. The Clean Air Act gives federal land managers and superintendents an affirmative responsibility to protect air quality related values in Class I areas and to assess whether new sources will have an adverse impact on park unit resources and values. Information on air quality levels in NPS units can also be used to evaluate the performance of atmospheric models that simulate how pollutants are transported into park units and predict impacts on the park unit caused by air pollution sources.