Ambient air quality monitoring plan for Congaree Swamp National Monument

Carson, Bobby

The following ambient air quality monitoring plan for Congaree Swamp National Monument is designed to manage the long-term collection of baseline air quality information, assess trends in air quality, determine compliance with national ambient air quality standards, and identify air pollutants which may injure or damage park resources. Congaree Swamp National Monument is a significant national monument in that it is the largest tract of near-virgin hardwood forest in North America, the trees that live in the park are remarkably tall, and it consists of a swamp ecosystem. It was designated as a Class II Floor Area under the Clean Air Act of 1977 by the United States Department of Interior on 1980. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is operating an ambient air quality monitoring station in the park. This station measures ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, mercury levels, particulate matter and the precipitation chemistry. The data collected in the study is used to support the resource management planning of the park, research directions, air quality permit evaluations, trends and effects determination and others. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control determined that the park is meeting all designated criteria pollutant NAAQSs and that continued background measurements are needed for the assessment of long-term impacts on the park resources.

Ambient air quality monitoring plan for Congaree Swamp National Monument

Collections