City Reminds Public To Monitor Air Quality Conditions Online
CITY REMINDS PUBLIC TO MONITOR
AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS ONLINE
Features on City’s home page offers
updated air quality conditions
RAPID CITY, SD—With an air pollution alert for dust issued today (February 8) for west Rapid City, officials remind the public they can monitor daily and hourly air quality air conditions on the City’s home page.
The ‘Air Quality Index’ feature link can be found at two locations on the City’s home page at www.rcgov.org , in the Community Bookmark and ‘What’s News In The City’ sections. Visitors will be taken to AirNow, a one-stop source for air quality data. AirNow reports air quality using the official US Air Quality Index (AQI). AirNow is a partnership of the US Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control and tribal, state and local air quality agencies. The feature was linked to the City’s home page last November.
For Rapid City, the air quality Index displays a color-coded scale from 0-500. The scale is used to communicate the air quality for the Rapid City area and anywhere in the country. Other features of the page include a color-coded map matching the color scale to show the air quality of the region. The Air Quality Index displays the current air quality and is updated hourly. It also includes any pollutants that may be impacting the air quality index and a recommendation or advisory on outdoor activities given the current air quality.
“The Air Quality Index feature is a great opportunity for the public to check and remain updated on the air quality of our area,” said the City’s Air Quality Specialist Michelle Tech. “There are many variables that can impact and determine air quality in our community from one hour to the next, one day to the next. And Rapid City has a large footprint so air conditions can be different in the area west of The Gap compared to the rest of the community.”
For South Dakota, air quality alerts are issued and cancelled by the National Weather Service and relayed to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. When an alert is issued, the City’s Air Quality Office provides a recommendation for the elderly, young and anyone with respiratory problems to avoid excessive physical exertion and minimize outdoor activities during the alert period. The alerts also contain voluntary actions to reduce impacts in construction, industrial and agricultural activities.