Air quality station at LTCC to aid students, TRPA

By Kathryn Reed

An air quality station that is going to be installed at Lake Tahoe Community College by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is also going to have an educational component to it.

The college board at its meeting last week heard a presentation by a member of the bi-state regulatory agency about the station that will monitor visibility, ozone and meteorological data. The board is expected to vote on the MOU at the Aug. 13 meeting.

The two entities are entering an agreement to place the device behind the physical education building near the South Tahoe Public Utility District pump house.

Hazy skies like these on July 14 in Lake Tahoe might be something the station at LTCC would soon be able to monitor. Photo/LTN

“To provide mutual benefit with LTCC, we will provide the Science Department with a web–based display of the meteorological and particulate sampling from the equipment,” Jeff Cowen, TRPA spokesman, told Lake Tahoe News. “The primary intent of the LTCC monitoring station is to gauge how the basin is doing in terms of regional and sub-regional visibility, which is a measure of particulate matter in the air from wood smoke and suspended soil.”

According to the July 9 LTCC staff report, “Graphic display of the monitoring data will include hourly, daily and historical air quality trends on a 32-inch LCD screen.”

TRPA used to have a monitoring station near Timber Cove in South Lake Tahoe. The agency has had a station at D.L. Bliss State Park since 1991, and also has facilities in Kings Beach, Tahoe City, Incline Village, Echo Summit and at its Stateline office.

Air quality is one of the thresholds in TRPA’s Compact.

The Tahoe Basin Regional Air Quality Monitory Program is a jointly managed by TRPA, California Air Resources Board, UC Davis, Desert Research Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency.

TRPA is responsible for paying for the installation of the station at the college as well as all operational and maintenance expenses. This includes installing power, telephone service and fencing.