Air Quality

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The objective of TEPA’s Air Quality monitoring program is to collect data and information that reflects air quality where people live and work on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. TEPA utilizes two types of equipment in its collection of air quality samples:

Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM)

The TEOM unit is a sophisticated high tech instrument that continuously samples for smoke particles from the air and records the data on an hourly basis. Meteorological data is used to identify trends in air movement, which can be correlated with TEOM data and used to predict the flow of air particles through the valley. The TEOM unit is critical for monitoring heavy smoke events that arise from forest fires and making determinations on the potential threats to public health.

Mini-volume portable PM10 on site samplers

Mini-volume samplers are used to assess site specific smoke events throughout different areas of the valley. They can be moved around anywhere and hung from a tree or light pole. They require replacement of exposed filters between sampling periods and a specialized laboratory for weighing the particles collected on the filters. TEPA also collects meteorological data using standard instrumentation, to complement the air quality data collected by the TEOM unit.

Air quality data is used by TEPA to assess conditions on the Reservation and develop smoke management strategies for maintaining or improving local air quality and protecting public.

Smoke Management

Residential wood burning, back yard burn piles, burn barrels, agricultural burns, wildland fires and prescribed fires are the most common sources of air pollution in the Hoopa Valley. These sources produce visible clouds of smoke that settle over the community in the form of a smoggy haze. During the winter months cold still air traps smoke in the valley and accumulates the haze which is available for breathing while people sleep.

The burning of household trash and plastics adds toxic gases to this haze and threatens public health. The purpose of a smoke management is to establish policies and procedures for the management of burning on the Reservation, in order to greatly reduce smoke levels in the valley and minimize the impacts of airborn toxins on human health.