Presented by Carl Brown and Don Essig, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

There are a number of Idaho water bodies that have fish advisories for mercury. While contamination concerns for mercury focus primarily on fish and water, air deposition of mercury is the predominant source of the mercury found in water. A general discussion of mercury air sources, transport, and deposition will be presented. Specific studies concerning deposition of mercury in Idaho will be summarized. Next the fate of mercury once it has fallen on the landscape will be described, i.e. how it goes from the watershed to fish. Studies of mercury in fish tissue in Idaho water bodies will also be summarized.

Speakers:
Leonard Herr, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and
Brian Jorgenson, Boise City Forestry Unit

As parts of Idaho struggle with increasing levels of ground-level ozone, the relationship between air quality, and ozone in particular, and Idaho’s vegetation is receiving increased scrutiny. The relationship is two fold: vegetation impacts air quality and air quality impacts vegetation. Vegetation can impact ozone in a number of ways. For example, ground-level ozone is formed through a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides in the presence of heat and strong sunlight. Certain types of vegetation give off VOCs (called “biogenic VOCs”), which lead to the formation of ozone. Unfortunately for Idaho, aromatic vegetation, such as sagebrush and pines, gives off the most VOCs. Conversely, many plants (particularly shade trees) also help improve air quality by removing air pollutants through respiration and deposition, and reducing energy usage and evaporative emissions by shading. Air quality can also negatively impact vegetation. High levels of ground-level ozone can impact a plant’s ability to conduct photosynthesis, and therefore to grow. This can impact Idaho’s agricultural yield. This presentation will look at both parts of the ozone/vegetation relationship and discuss ways in which people can have a positive impact on our air quality.

Presenters: Mary Andersen and Melissa Gibbs, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Over the past year the State of Idaho has made huge strides in the area of smoke management. A new statewide crop residue burning program approved by the 2008 legislature began in Idaho on September 2, 2008. The new program, a culmination of more than a year’s work by growers, environmental groups, DEQ, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is designed to be protective of public health. This program replaces the program previously administered by ISDA and is applicable statewide (except on Indian reservations). Prior to implementing this program, the State of Idaho had much less authority and control over crop residue burning practices. Even though these new requirements do not mean the end of all smoke in Idaho, they certainly will help reduce the impacts from crop residue burning and ensure that public health is protected.

The new program has air quality requirements that must be met before a burn can be approved. These air quality requirements are for both short-term smoke impacts (one to two hours) and longer-term smoke impacts (one to two days). DEQ also evaluates the weather to make sure that all smoke will disperse with minimal impact to public health and safety, with special consideration for institutions with sensitive populations (e.g., hospitals and schools).

Melissa Gibbs,
and Martin Bauer, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Matt Stoll, COMPASS

The panel will discuss the basics of nonattainment from the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to the financial impact companies and federal grant dollar recipients may face; the city-level regulatory approach and timeline for going from nonattainment status to maintenance of the national standard; and the community-level detail of the impacts of nonattainment status on the planning organization’s workload and budget from increased travel demand modeling, transportation budgeting, and conformity and impact analyses.