EA-2 Air Pollutant Monitoring

Description

Monitor concentration of criteria air pollutants; trace pollutants to source areas; and, monitor spread of constituents. Map concentrations, trajectories, and dispersion (synoptic view and nesting scales) of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur dioxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, particulate matter <10um, and lead particles.

Rationale

• Probable Partners
  o Federal, state and local health agencies
  o U.S., state, and regional EPAs
  o Air control boards
  o Private industry
  o Private developers
  o Intelligence community
  o Health insurance industry
  o Value-added commercial remote sensing providers
  o Land management agencies: Department of the Interior (DOI)
  

• Potential Benefit and Payoff
  o Increased human and environmental health due to cleaner air;
  o Increased compliance with regulations;
  o Cleaner air;
  o Enhanced tracking system which will help companies to meet compliance and help governmental agencies monitor for non-compliance; and
  o Will help to ensure environmental justice.
  

• Legislative mandates / regulatory mandates / directives to which the proposed application responds or complements
  o Federal and state Clean Air Acts;
  o Executive Orders (e.g. Environmental Justice)
  o Public health mandates
  

• Other Supporting Data
  o To Be Determined

Relationship to Existing Science Programs and Initiatives

• State agency and university research focused on criteria pollutants
  
• EPA Acid Rain Program
  

Recommended Partnership Vehicle:

• MOU and Data buy
  

Alignment of proposed application with Evaluation Criteria

• National Importance
  o High. Air quality issues are found all over the U.S.
  

• Pervasiveness
  o Widespread – all over the U.S.
  

• Uniqueness of NASA Contribution
  o Increased attention within NASA on atmospheric processes, especially regarding global change science is likely to generate data and technology that will be useful to operational air quality applications
  

• Potential Partnership Benefit
  o This application will help companies to better meet compliance, thus reducing risks of fines. State and local health agencies will benefit from the reduction of air-quality related health problems (i.e. asthma).
  

• Cost / Benefit
  o Unknown, although benefits are anticipated to exceed costs. This application will help companies to better meet compliance, thus reducing risks of fines. State and local health agencies will benefit from the reduction of air-quality related health problems (i.e. asthma).
  

• Capability of Documenting Results
  o Easily documentable.
  

• Potential Commercial Impact
  o High. Companies need an application such as this to ensure compliance and reduce fines. Companies will benefit financially from the development and sale of this technology.
  

• Other Criteria
  o International importance since air pollution knows no boundaries.