Air Quality and Smoke Management Tools and Information for NRCS in Oregon

1. Air Quality and Smoke Management Tools and Information for NRCS in Oregon Susan O’Neill Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team, WNTSC November 2011 Photo courtesy Lorraine Vogt

2. Overview • Why Manage Smoke? • How do I Manage Smoke? • Fire Weather and Smoke Management Tools

3. … Fire Happens

5. Why manage smoke? • Health Impacts • Public Safety and Nuisance • Visibility – Regional Haze Rule • We are a Conservation Agency – Air Quality is a resource concern

6. Emissions from Fire • Complete Combustion • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Water (H2O) • Incomplete Combustion • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Particulate Matter (PM) • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) • Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Methane (CH4) Ozone (O3)

7. The Regulatory Process • National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) • 6 Criteria Pollutants • Particulate Matter (PM) • Ozone (O3) • Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • Carbon Monoxide (CO) • Lead (Pb) • Five year review cycle • Nonattainment Area (NAA) • State Implementation Plan (SIP) • http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/

8. From Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire 2001 Particulate Matter (PM) • PM2.5 • Directly emitted (Primary) • Formed by chemical reaction (Secondary) • PM10 • Directly emitted (Primary) • Mostly mechanically generated • Larger PM • Directly emitted (Primary) • Mostly geologic in origin (ex. volcanic, crustal)

9. Where Are Particles Removed or Deposited? Mouth (no filter system) 5 μm: trachea, bronchi <2 μm (smoke): bronchioles <1 μm: in alveoli >10 μm: nasal passages 9 4-9-Rx410-EP

10. Health Impacts – PM2.5 • The immune system sends white blood cells (lymphocytes), to surround the particulates, protecting the body from the foreign objects. The lymphocytes settle on the alveoli walls, causing inflammation and scarring. The built-up scar tissue slows oxygen flow, making transfer of air to capillaries more difficult http://www.fresnobee.com/static/2007/flash/airproject/)

11. National Ambient Air Quality Standards ( NAAQS) • PM2.5 Standard Revised 9/2006 • Old 24-hr Standard = 65 µg/m3 • New 24-hr Standard = 35 µg/m3 • Annual Standard = 15 µg/m3 • PM10 24-hr Standard = 150 µg/m3 • PM NAAQS currently under review

12. NAA: Klamath Falls, Oakridgehttp://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/planning/

13. NAA: Eugene/Springfield, Oakridgehttp://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/planning/

14. Particulate matter can cause impacts on local, regional, and even global scales. Scales of Particulate Matter Influence Local Regional Global

15. Ozone (O3) • Two kinds of ozone • Stratospheric ozone layer protects us from harmful UV light • Tropospheric ozone that is harmful to human health and vegetation

17. From Bergin et al., 2007 Tropospheric Ozone Chemistry • Ozone is a “secondary pollutant” • Not directly emitted • Created in the atmosphere • VOC + NOX + sunlight -> O3 • NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen) = NO2 and NO • VOC = Volatile Organic Compound • Timescale: 1-2 hours • Ozone typically forms downwind of precursor releases

18. Health Impacts - Ozone • The alveoli cell walls are burned by ozone, causing scarring and thickening of the tissue, which makes the transfer of air to capillaries more difficult http://www.fresnobee.com/static/2007/flash/airproject/)

19. National Ambient Air Quality Standards ( NAAQS) • Ozone Standard Revised 3/2008 • Old 8-hr Standard = 0.084 ppm • New 8-hr Standard = 0.075 ppm • New Administration Remanded the 2008 Levels • 9/22/2011 – The Administration decided to go forward with the 2008 levels. • 52 areas expected to be designated nonattainment

21. Exceptional Events Rule (EER) • Promulgated 3/22/2007 • Monitoring data can be excluded from non-attainment designations if exceedance is due to an Exceptional Event. • Natural Events • High Wind Events • Natural Disasters and Associated Clean-up Activities • Stratospheric Ozone Intrusion • Volcanic & Seismic Activities • Wildland Fires • Prescribed Fires • Other: Structural Fires, Chemical Spills, Terrorist Attacks, Transported Pollution

22. How Do I Manage Smoke? • Smoke Management is about managing the emissions from fire to reduce downwind impacts. • Smoke is unlike most other pollutant sources – a control can not be put on it to scrub the emissions. • Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed and Wildland Fire, 2001 (http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/5388)

23. Basic Smoke Management Practices • Six Basic Smoke Management Practices (BSMPs) • Meteorological information for smoke management • Trajectories from fire • Smoke Dispersion

24. BSMP 1: Evaluate smoke dispersion conditions to minimize smoke impacts • Before • Identify smoke sensitive areas • Identify meteorological conditions • During • (critical) Obtain latest meteorological forecast • Obtain AQ conditions (AIRNOW) • Verify forecast with observations (RAWS) • After, burn operations • Assess smoldering conditions

25. From the Southern Forestry Smoke Management Guidehttp://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/viewpub.php?index=683 http://shrmc.ggy.uga.edu/ Select: Smoke Products -> Smoke Screening Google Map application Zoom-in View Smoke Sensitive Areas Enter Location, Acres, Fuel type, ignition method, wind direction Simple Smoke Screening Tool(Highly Recommended)

26. Meteorological ParametersWind Speed and Direction • Wind speed disperses smoke • Strong surface winds • plume lay-down near the surface • inhibit vertical dispersion • Vertical wind profile • Surface drag reduces winds at the surface • Wind speed gradually increases with height • Smoke disperses slower at the surface than aloft • Wind direction at the surface can be different than wind direction aloft.

27. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Oregonhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ • Astoria • Eugene • Medford • North Bend • Pendleton • Portland • Redmond • Salem • Frequency of wind direction • From 16 cardinal wind directions • Color bands give frequency of wind speed

28. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Januaryhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

29. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Februaryhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

30. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Marchhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

31. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Aprilhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

32. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Mayhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

33. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Junehttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

34. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Julyhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

35. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Augusthttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

36. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Septemberhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

37. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Octoberhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

38. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Novemberhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

39. Water and Climate Center Windroses – Decemberhttp://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/downloads/climate/windrose/ Redmond, Oregon

40. Winds may flow along a valley near the surface but be different aloft (away from the topographical influences) Surface heating/cooling: Surface cooling creates downslope flows, advecting smoke into drainage areas where roads often are. Surface heating in the morning creates upslope flows, lofting smoke. Photo by Roger Ottmar. Meteorological Parameters Valley Flows

41. Meteorological Parameters Mixing Height • Height of the atmosphere above the ground which is well mixed due either to mechanical turbulence or convective turbulence. • Smoke has the potential to disperse vertically in the atmosphere up to the height of the mixing height. • A low mixing height can limit how the smoke disperses and can lead to greater smoke concentrations near the ground.

42. Meteorological Parameters Ventilation Index • Ventilation Index (VENT) = mixing height x transport winds • Transport Winds - average wind speed through the mixing layer. • Dispersive capability of the atmosphere given in a single number • Caveats: • High transport winds & low mixing height - smoke will be kept close to the ground • Low transport winds & high mixing height is high - smoke will loft high into the atmosphere (good dispersion) BUT fire behavior could be erratic. • A single national scale does not exist for VENT so investigate your local implementation.

43. Meteorological ParametersAtmospheric Stability Measure of the atmosphere's tendency to encourage or deter vertical motion. Unstable Atmosphere • Vertical Mixing • Smoke not at surface • Erratic fire behavior possible Stable Atmosphere • Vertical Mixing limited • Smoke at surface (photos by Roger Ottmar, USFS)

44. Meteorological ParametersVertical Temperature Profile • Usually, atmospheric temperature decreases with altitude. • Sometimes, atmospheric temperature increases with height. • An “Inversion” where the atmosphere is "inverted" from its usual state. • Two Types of Inversions: • surface • aloft Figures used by permission from Whiteman (2000).

45. Meteorological Parameters Inversions • If smoke is emitted into surface inversions or is transported and trapped in the inversion then this can lead to poor air quality conditions. • Mop-up – mitigation method. • In complex terrain, burning on slopes above an inversion can keep the smoke aloft. • Persistent (multiple-day) inversions can create poor air quality conditions and burning is not recommended. Figures used by permission from Whiteman (2000).

46. Meteorological Parameters Water Vapor • Fire releases water vapor • As temperatures decrease in the evening and especially early morning hours, the water vapor will condense out of the atmosphere onto the fine particulate matter released from the fire. This can quickly create a thick white out fog (“superfog”) that pools in low-lying areas reducing visibility to near zero. • This phenomena and has been attributed to numerous traffic accidents

47. NWS Fire Weather Webpage • Fire Weather Forecast • Weather Planner • Request a spot forecast • Observational data http://radar.srh.noaa.gov/fire/

48. NWS Fire Weather Forecast • Cloud Cover • 20 ft winds • Transport Winds • Mixing Height • Smoke Dispersion • Lightning Activity Level • Haines Index

49. http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml#Smoke_Management • ODF Meteorological Support • Seasonally: March – JuneSeptember – November • Western Oregon • Northeastern Oregon • south central Oregon • Wood stove assistance for Lakeview and Klamath Falls • Open burning forecast for the Willamette Valley north of Lane County when field burning not being conducted

50. Oregon Department of AgricultureWeather Center http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/NRD/weather.shtml • June 15 – Sept 30 • Daily weather forecasts and burn advisories • Daily emails • Surface & Transport Winds • Ventilation • Temperature, RH