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Community Air Action Planning

Supporting community-led air quality knowledge and action in Rockwood and Wilkes East

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Neighbors for Clean Air

Air Quality Division | Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

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Our team

Lindsey Meyers

Hillarie Sales

Ryan Porter

Tim Wollerman

Ryan Bellinson

Nakisha Nathan

Oscar Edwards-Hughes

Mary Peveto

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Overview

About CAAP w/DEQ
Hear from NCA
Hear from Blueprint Foundation
Hosting an Air Quality Monitor
Monitoring Equipment

What will we use?
How do we use it?
Monitoring requirements

Activity!
Getting Started
Next Steps

COMMUNITY

AIR

KNOWLEDGE

DATA

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About CAAP

Air quality monitoring data can support community decision making.

Understand local AQ trends

Identify sources of pollution

Promote public health awareness

Drive local initiatives

AQ monitoring data can play a really important role to empower THIS community to take informed actions regarding your environment and health.

Understand local AQ trends� - Monitoring data can provide real-time insights into air pollution levels.

- It can also help to identify patterns like, seasonal variations or specific times of day when the air quality is better or worse.

2. ID sources of pollution

- looking at AQ data can help to pinpoint potential sources of air pollution – like traffic, certain industrial activities, or wildfires.

3. Promote public health awareness

- monitoring data raises awareness of health risks associated with poor air quality

- it can also help the whole community to take precautions – like when you know the air quality is bad, you can choose to stay inside or limit outdoor activities.

4. Driving local initiatives

- knowing what the air quality is like in this community may help to develop local initiatives like tree planting, or creating no-idling zones

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Visualizing Air Quality

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Blueprint Foundation

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Hosting a Monitor: What to Expect

Responsibilities

Provide a location for the monitor

Ensure the monitor has power (and Wi-Fi if available)

Report any issues to the DEQ CAAP team

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Hosting a Monitor: What to Expect

Time commitment

Minimal: occasional checks and communication

Monitor stays in place for about 10 months

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Why should you host a monitor?

Participate in real scientific data collection

Help your community

Stipend

By hosting a monitor, you are not just supporting a DEQ project, you are becoming part of a scientific effort to improve air quality awareness in your community. You’ll receive a stipend, but more importantly, the data you help collect will guide decisions that can improve health outcomes for everyone.

To formalize your role as a monitor host, you’ll sign a simple agreement that outlines your responsibilities - and like, that you’ll give us back the monitors at the end of the monitoring part of the project here.

Yes! There is a stipend. For those of you who host monitors, we’ll go into the details of that with you soon.

A big piece of this is that your community will receive funds at the end of this project, in addition to the stipends, and you will have the power to decide how to use them. Whether you choose to keep CAAP going by purchasing monitors to keep in the community, or to use those funds in another way to benefit the community, the choice will be yours. Whatever direction this takes, it will be a big step toward a deeper understanding of your local environment, improved AQ awareness, and a more informed, and we hope – healthier community.

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Air Monitoring Equipment

PurpleAir

Measures particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as PM_2.5
Particulate matter is mixture of solid particles that may be bound to liquid
Sources: soil/dust, combustion processes (from wildfire, engines, industry, residential heating), pollen, tires

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Air Monitoring Equipment

AethLabs

Also known as an aethalometer, which measures black carbon
Black carbon is the portion of PM_2.5 that best absorbs light
Sources: incomplete combustion processes (engines, industry, wildfire, residential heating)
Can distinguish between biological and nonbiological black carbon

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Air Monitoring Equipment

KestrelMet

Weather station
Monitors wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity
Used to determine transport of air pollution
Can correct air pollution data, e.g. remove effects of humidity

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Placing Air Monitoring Equipment

Know what you want to monitor for

Can monitors detect air pollutant of concern?

Know why you want to monitor

Measure air pollution that is released from source?
Measure air pollution that people are exposed to?

Know when you want to monitor

Would air pollution be higher at certain times of day, days of week, months of year?

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Placing Air Monitoring Equipment

Know how long you want to monitor for

Monitors can move during project period

Keep in mind equipment limitations

12 PurpleAirs, 2 AethLabs and 2 KestrelMets can operate from December 2024 through September 2025
Can install more, but they will need to be shared with other communities starting February 2025 and June 2025

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Mapping Activity: Planning Monitor Placement

Objective: Plan air monitor placement in your neighborhood!

Review: Are there existing monitors? What are the areas of concern?

Collaborate:�Areas of Concern = Teal

Possible Monitor Locations = Purple

Desired Monitor Locations = Red

This interactive activity is all about collaboration. Using the provided map and sticky notes, we’ll work together to plan the placement of monitors in the neighborhood.

We’ll start by reviewing what’s already on the map: areas where hosts have volunteered, locations of air quality concerns, and notes about gaps.

Then, use sticky notes to mark key points: where hosts are confirmed, areas of concern, and locations where we want monitors but don’t have hosts yet.

As we work, let’s discuss strategies to address gaps and ensure effective coverage for the project.

We can put up to 12 total purple air monitors in the community, and we’ll be placing 1 aethalometer and 1 met station.

The aethalometer and met will be placed together in a school – so we want to discuss where you all think would be a good place to locate these instruments, too.

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Getting Started: Installing Air Monitor

Electricity

Needs 110-volt power supply, plug into wall outlet
May need extension cord

Wi-Fi (if available)

Uses home wireless internet to transfer data

Location that allows for air to free flow
Permission from landlord or homeowners association
Review siting guide on CAAP website

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Getting Started: Monitor Documentation

What info do we need?

Installation
Maintenance
Relocation
Removal

Fill out form online
Documentation needed to verify proper monitor operation and justify any data modifications or exclusions
Maintenance activities performed about every 15 days.

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Getting Started: Setup for Purple Air Monitors

Key Features:

Step-by-step instructions for setting up your PurpleAir

Clear troubleshooting tips

Detailed guidance on checking confidence scores to help maintain data quality.

Wi-Fi connection setup

PurpleAir Operations Guide

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Next Steps

Collect monitors and materials

Recruit monitor hosts

AethLabs and KestrelMets installed by the CAAP team

Agreement review and setup

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Questions?

Website:

www.ordeq.org/caap

Email the team:�CAAP@deq.oregon.gov