Tonnie CummingsNational Park Service, Pacific West Region
National Tribal Forum on Air QualityMay 14, 2014
Overview of Two Recent Interagency Air Quality Initiatives in
the Pacific Northwest
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Potential adverse effects from atmospheric N deposition in the PNW (produced by USFS, 2013).
Target Load?
Critical Load
Potential adverse effects from atmospheric N deposition in the PNW (produced by USFS, 2013).
Target Load?
Critical Load
Target 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
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.