AIR RESOURCES AND REPORTS

Local Government Committee SHENAIR meetings:

June 8, 2009 at Strasburg - Presentations with Draft PowerPoint Presentations.  For additional information on the Local Government Committee contact Jill Keihn, NSVRC

What can you do to decrease air pollution? 

• See Strategies to improve Air Quality in the Shenandoah Valley (PDF)

Other Shenandoah Valley Air Quality Resources

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• AirNow - Nationwide air quality monitoring and forecasts
• Animated ozone and particle pollution maps at AirNow
• Valley Commuter Assistance Program
• Valley Connector
• Valley Air Now
• Shenandoah National Park
• I-81 Corridor Coalition Environmental Committee, Chair Mike Ball 
• Clean Air Connection

SHENAIR Science Team Findings and Reports on Air Quality

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• University of Virginia
• James Madison University

Did you know about idling?

Idling of passenger and other gasoline-powered vehicles results in increased levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other air pollutants.  NOx are a precursor to the formation of ozone near the ground.  Although desired in the upper atmosphere, ozone on ground levels can cause respiratory distress and other adverse impacts.  The adverse impacts associated with PM have been widely publicized.  Shenair endorses no idling of passenger vehicles to reduce idling emissions.  Another measure to improve air quality is reducing the number of passenger vehicles by using public transportation.  For more information on public transportation visit Valley Connector. 

Diesel truck idling are also contributors to air pollution emissions such as PM, NOx, carbon monoxide, and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons.  Idling trucks when not in transit provides security, refrigeration, and other benefits; however, due to the air pollution generated, in some cases alternative energy supplies such as plug-in electric grids provide power to run security, etc., while reducing air pollutant emissions from trucks.  Shenair analyzed different truck idling strategies to reduce air emissions.  In general, Shenair recommends two idling reduction strategies, depending on geography, proximity to urban centers, and time of year for clean air and low energy use:

• A direct-fired heater combined with electrified parking spaces for cooling (lowest CO2 and NOx) , and

• A direct-fired heater combined with an onboard device for cooling (the lowest PM emissions).