LAX AIR QUALITY AND SOURCE APPORTIONMENT STUDY
STATUS – APRIL 2012

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE 

Assess incremental impact or “fair-share” contribution(s) of LAX operations on local air quality, by:

• Quantifying spatial and temporal variations in ambient air concentrations of gases and particles at LAX and adjacent communities
• Determining fuel-based emission factors and chemical composition of jet exhaust and taxiing emissions and updating the emission inventory of airport and non-airport sources within and near LAX
• Determining the contributions of various airport-related activities and non-airport sources to the concentrations of selected air pollutants within communities adjacent to LAX using both source and receptor modeling

PHASES I AND II (DEMONSTRATION PROJECT) – Preliminary Work  

• Collected data and developed preliminary emissions inventory
• Sampled/characterized mobile source fuels used on and around Airport
• Conducted monitoring at five near-in locations for 42 days to: (See Demonstration Project Monitoring Location map under Maps/Graphics/Photos.)
o Test sampling and monitoring techniques
o Determine pollutant levels at monitoring sites
o Determine most effective methods to detect airport-related emissions
o Provide scientific input for placement of monitoring locations for long-term study

The monitoring test programs conducted during Phases I and II, along with additional AQMD sponsored taxiway sampling conducted in 2011, helped guide the monitoring and sampling protocols being used in Phase III.

PHASE III APPROACH  

A total of 17 monitoring sites, consisting of “fixed monitoring stations”, “community satellite sites”, and “saturation sampling sites” are being used. (See Phase III Monitoring Location map under Maps/Graphics/Photos.)

Fixed Monitoring Stations - (4):
• Community North - Westchester
• Community South - El Segundo
• Community East - Lennox
• Upwind Northwest Site - Playa del Rey

Fixed monitoring stations include a comprehensive array of monitoring equipment that remains at the same location throughout the monitoring period to provide continuous or time-integrated measurements of a variety of air pollutants. Examples of pollutants to be monitored include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, black carbon, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles.

Community Satellite Sites – (4):
• Hawthorne
• Westchester
• El Segundo
• west of LAX

Gradient Sampling Sites (9) - provide measurements for a subset of air pollutants throughout the areas surrounding the airport.

The combination of monitor types will provide key data regarding the spatial distribution and concentration gradients of target pollutants around LAX. The monitoring data will be used in several different methods of sophisticated modeling to draw correlations between the characteristics of air pollutant sources at LAX and air pollutant receptors in the surrounding areas.

WORK TASKS 

• Finalize monitoring site assessments & permission from site owners, and install necessary power & security systems – Completed
• Prepare Monitoring and Quality Assurance Program Plan (MQAPP) – Completed
• Prepare Modeling and Analysis Protocol – In progress
• Monitoring equipment procurement and installation – Completed
• Sample and characterize mobile source fuels used on and around the Airport – In progress
• Conduct QA/QC evaluations of monitoring and sampling systems
• Conduct sampling and analysis – Completed 1st season
• Compile interim reports
• Conduct receptor modeling
• Develop emissions inventories – In progress
• Conduct dispersion modeling
• Prepare final report and database
• Prepare presentation materials for, and participate in public meeting
• On-going coordination with Owner’s Representative and Technical Working Group (TWG)

TEAM FUNCTIONS  

New team of nationally-recognized experts under Tetra Tech, Inc.:
• SCS Tracer Environmental (SCS) – Field measurements
• Desert Research Institute (DRI) – Chemical analyses & source apportionment
• T&B Systems – Field data & quality assurance
• Non-Parametric Trajectory Modeling - Ronald Henry, Ph.D.
• EDMS Emissions Inventory –KB Environmental
• Dispersion Modeling – Sarav Arunachalam, Ph.D.
• Technical Advisors - Ivar Tombach, Ph.D. & Charles Blanchard, Ph.D.

SCHEDULE 

• Air quality monitoring
o Winter season, January – March 2012 – Completed
o Summer season - beginning in July 2012 (to account for typical seasonal changes in meteorology, airport operations, and the associated effects on pollutant transport and dispersion)
• Source and receptor modeling will occur as data become available
• Monitoring and modeling analysis - latter half of 2012
• Report preparation – completed by Spring 2013

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LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS BEGINS MAJOR PHASE OF LANDMARK AIRPORT AIR QUALITY AND SOURCE APPORTIONMENT STUDY  

(Los Angeles, California – March 14, 2012) A landmark study that began at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) more than a decade ago is now moving into its final and most important phase -- completion of air quality monitoring in communities around the airport, followed by modeling and analyses to determine the extent of air pollution attributable to airport activities. Phase III of the LAX Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study is being conducted by Tetra Tech, Inc., of Pasadena.

"LAWA is committed to moving the LAX Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study forward, and with the core air monitoring program currently underway, the study and final report is expected to be completed early 2013," said Michael D. Feldman, Los Angeles World Airports deputy executive director.

"This study will answer key questions about air pollution attributable to LAX," said Dr. Joseph Lyou, president and chief executive officer of the Coalition for Clean Air, a public interest group that focuses on air quality issues in California. "We’re excited about the initiation of the monitoring and data analysis program and look forward to seeing the results. Within the next year, we’ll have more air quality data from LAX than has been collected from any other airport in the world."

The air quality monitoring approach includes 17 monitoring sites consisting of fixed-monitoring stations, community satellite sites, and saturation sampling sites in communities adjacent to LAX: El Segundo (south), Lennox (east), Playa del Rey (upwind northwest) and Westchester (north).

Each of the fixed monitoring stations will contain a comprehensive array of monitoring equipment that remains at the same location to provide continuous or time-integrated measurements of a variety of air pollutants. Pollutants to be monitored include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, black carbon, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles.

Four smaller satellite sites are located in Hawthorne, Westchester, El Segundo, and west of LAX; and gradient sampling will provide measurements for a subset of air pollutants at nine additional sites throughout the areas surrounding the airport.

Air quality monitoring will occur over two seasons – the winter season, which began late January 2012, and the summer season beginning July 2012 – to account for typical seasonal changes in meteorology, airport operations, and the associated effects on pollutant transport and dispersion. Analysis of the monitoring and modeling results will occur during the latter half of 2012 and report preparation is expected to be completed by Spring 2013.

A technical working group of air quality scientists and researchers on the federal, state and local levels, as well as community organizations, will continue to provide advice, technical review, and comment on the study through its completion. Public agencies represented in the technical working group include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The public can obtain status updates and submit comments during the course of the Study on the project web site at http://www.lawa.org/welcome_lax.aspx?id=1060.