November 16, 2012-by John Blair valleywatch.net editor
Below is a picture I shot this morning of the atrocious air pollution in Evansville today, 11/16. It was basically the same yesterday as fine particles built up in the region. Unfortunately, IDEM nor the local EPA has any data to record what is probably an exceedance of the 24 hour fine particle standard so there is no air pollution alerts or anything to warn people of the severity of the problem.
IDEM is supposed to maintain a near real-time data website (http://leads.idem.in.gov/cgi-bin/idem/daily_summary.pl) but for the last two days, while air quality worsened, their site shows absolutely no data using the term PMA instead of quantitative figures. IDEM defines PMA as: “PMA – Preventative maintenance. Indicates the CAMS is undergoing maintenance and data collected is not valid data.â€
Sadly, what is happening today and yesterday will likely not be included in any determination of whether or not we actually meet the health based standards for fine particles since the monitor is conveniently down for “preventative†maintenance. Maybe by “preventative†they mean prevent a violation of the standard.
I am asking for permission to publish a letter a Valley Watch board member received from Evansville EPA leader, Dona Bergman and will share that when permission is received but in the meantime here are two sentences from that letter, date August 1, 2012 which was in response to data that USEPA had collected which showed EVV air quality was worse than the State and local governments were acknowledging, “For much of the period you examined, the data from the BV continuous monitor had a high bias (see for example the chart below). In fact, quite a bit of the Buena Vista monitor’s data were removed from IDEM’s websites because they were invalidated.â€
It seems that every time there is an air quality problem around here there is some kind of excuse forthcoming as to why the official monitors are incorrect except on days when air quality is on the good side, then they are never wrong.
Cry me a river.
It’s called fog John. It was in the weather forecast. I have no doubt the particulate level in our area is higher than some other areas. But don’t use a little morning moisture in the air to build yourself a platform from which to self aggrandize.
John, I appreciate all that you are doing for the environment here in the Tri-State. Grassroots activists like you, Alan Brille, and Frank Peterlin are what is going to save this city. Please keep up the good work!
John–You are continuously finding fault with others and believing someone is out to screw you here in Evansville. Why don’t you move out of the valley. The air is much cleaner today than it use to be.
John and Frank in charge of our City???? Give me a break!
I like how you say John is always finding faults with others then you go and dise not one but two people. Sit down and shut up!
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