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Air Quality Program
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Frank Black Cloud
Air Quality Coordinator |
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Spirit Lake Tribe
PO Box 99
Fort Totten, North Dakota 58335
Phone: 701-766-1291
Fax: 701-766-1218
email:
frankbc@spiritlakenation.com |
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To have
a better understanding of what local air quality means to the health
of our people and environment of the Spirit Lake Nation.
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To
work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and their
policy of supporting Tribal self-governance in decision making
within Tribal lands.
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The Air
Quality program wants to encourage public participation.
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To keep
the residents and the community informed about the importance of air
quality.
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To
conduct a complete emission's inventory to see what hazards are
within our reservation.
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To
ultimately protect our "pristine air" within the Spirit Lake Tribe
Nation.
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103 Air Quality Program
The Spirit Lake Tribe Air Quality Program has been in
operation since 2000. We work under a grant funded by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). We began this program with
building of technical expertise to gain a better understanding of air
pollution and how it can deteriorate air quality around the Nation.
After gaining this information from trainings provided by the Institute
for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) we began an extensive
research project known as an Emissions Inventory (EI) within the
exterior boundaries of the Spirit Lake Nation. This was a very
research-intensive project. We hired a very knowledgeable firm out of
Golden, CO called Air Sciences Inc. to assist us with the EI. Once the
framework was established as to the types of emissions/sources we could
expect to find we began to conduct the EI.
This research project took approximately one year to
complete. After which time we discovered that we had what is known as a
“Major” source emitter within our boundaries. To make matters worse…we
had no data on the facility or to what extent it could possibly be
polluting the air shed. Having known this we could not, with good
conscience, submit our data to the US EPA as a completed document. We
then began to work very closely with the facility to gain knowledge of
the source and use data obtained to re-evaluate the EI.
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Here is what we discovered…
The Major Source is Sioux Mfg Corp. The types of
emissions from this facility are known as Toxic Air Pollutants also
known as Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) are those pollutants that are
known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such
as reproductive effects or birth defects, even adverse environmental
effects. US EPA has identified 188 toxics air pollutants. People exposed
to toxic air pollutants at sufficient concentrations and durations may
have an increased chance of getting cancer or experiencing other serious
health effects. These health effects can include damage to the immune
system, as well as neurological, reproductive (e.g., reduced fertility),
developmental respiratory and other health problems. A “Major” source is
described as a single stationary source, which emits more then 25 tons
per/year of any single HAP. SMC emits 146 tons per/year of one known
HAP. Methyl Ethyl Keytone (MEK) is the compound, which gives us greatest
concern. This facility has the potential to emit 438 tons per/yr of MEK.
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Now that we know and understand the problem what are we
doing about it?
Spirit Lake EPA Air Quality begins Urban Air Toxics
Monitoring Program (UATMP) with a grant from the US EPA we began to
monitor the levels of HAPs from SMC in January of 2004. We were able to
purchase two pieces of equipment. One known as a PUF sampler, which
takes an ambient air sample and the other called an AT-2 or Air Toxics
Series 2, which takes a gaseous sample. We currently sample on a 1 in 12
schedule. This means that every 12 days we run a collection sample.
These samples are then sent to a laboratory in North Carolina for
analysis. Spirit Lake EPA has entered into a contract with the Eastern
Research Group (ERG) are the experts in the field of air toxics. They
currently have a National Contract with the US EPA to assist states in
their efforts to monitor and reduce emissions from Major sources in 12
states and one Tribe.
The data collected this year will aid the tribe to
conduct what is known as a “Risk Assessment” to understand what effects
we might expect from having a major source of this type within our
boundaries. This risk assessment will help us make better decisions as
to what type of control technologies we need to have in place at the
plant to reduce the emissions and reduce the risk of any residents
becoming ill or having adverse health effects from the emissions.
Spirit Lake EPA has also established our very on
Meteorological Station in Fort Totten. This station was installed back
in August of 2003. The station collects data for ambient air
temperature, precipitation, barometric pressure, wind speeds and
directions. We access this data via a modem and download data on a daily
basis. This data is very invaluable to us as we use it to estimate the
“flow rate” of the PUF sampler. We would like to have this data
available on our website for current up-to-date weather for the
residents of Spirit Lake.
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Types of equipment currently being used by the Spirit
Lake EPA Air Program: |
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AT-2 Sampler
with SUMMA canister attached at left.
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PUF
sampler and AT-2 Inlet protruding from trailer
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GIS
image of location of the UATMP station.
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Set-up
of Meteorological station north of Fort Totten.
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Tom
Brauch and Kathy Steerman of Air Sciences Inc. assist with set-up of
foundation.
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Frank
Black Cloud hard at work while Kathy bolts tower to foundation.
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Kathy
climbing tower to calibrate manometer.
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View
from East - Precipitation monitor located lower corner of picture on
left side.
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