# Presentation: 158180

## Ozone Alerts in theHouston/Harris County Area

- Jerry L. Harris
- Air Sampling Coordinator
- Harris County Pollution Control

## What is Tropospheric Ozone and Why do we care?

- Ground level ozone
- Decreased pulmonary function
- Pulmonary deficient especially susceptible
- Children and elderly at higher risk
- Described as “sunburn”of the lungs

## Why do we need ozone alerts in Houston/Harris County?

- The eight-county area is
- SEVERE
- Non-attainment for ozone

## 2003 Ozone Exceedance Days

- 1-hour exceedances
- ================
- Orange     24
- Red          10
- Purple        1
- -------------------------
- Total        35

- 8-hour exceedances
- ============
- Orange   22
- Red        18
- Purple      4
- ----------------------
- Total       44

## Slide 5

- <date/time>

** **

## AQI and 8hr - 1hr Ozone Alert Comparison

-             _**AQI **_**                                   **_**8-hr**_**            **_**1-hr**_
- Green   01--50 Healthy                        01- 64          ----
- Yellow  51-100 Moderate                     65- 84           ---
-                                                       ( trigger ) in ppb
- Orange 101-150 Sensitive                   85-104   125-164
- Red      151-200  Unhealthy               105-124   165-204
- Purple   201-300 Very Unhealthy        125-300   205-404
- Maroon 300-500 Hazardous               301 - +    405-604

## Houston/Harris County Area

- Unique meteorology – coastal
- Unique geography – large flat coastal
- Unique demographics – 5 1⁄4 million
- Unique chemistry – petrochemicals

##       Houston Ship Channel      Petro-chemical Industry

## Houston Transportation Area12,500 sq miles – 5 1⁄4 million people

- Houston Transportation Area12,500 sq miles – 5 1⁄4 million people

## Mitigation of Health Impacts

- Elderly
- Children
- Respiratory diseases

## Mitigation of Ozone Precursors

- Industrial activities
- Vehicular travel
- Fueling times

## How to communicate ozoneexceedances to the public

- Email notifications from TCEQ
- Refined emails from HCOEM
- Press releases for red and purple alerts
- Highway electronic signs
- Monitor reading displays
- Phone advisories to ISDs

## Harris County Public Health Ozone Monitoring Network

- Established 2002
- SEP funding
- Existing Public Sites
- $15,000 - $20,000 per Site
- Currently 6 sites operating
- 7 more in development

## Ozone Monitor Reporting Logistics

- Site selection
- Monitors – EPA equivalent method
- Data loggers – TCEQ network OK
- Phone modem / standing IP address
- Coordination of installation
- QA/QC program

## Slide 17

## How to give Public access to data generated?

- Internet search
- Email alert system
- Monitor remote digital displays
- Press releases

## Air Quality Health Advisory

- Air Quality in Harris County
- (Reaches/May Reach)
- Level Red

## Air Quality Warning/Health Advisory

- Air Quality in Harris County Reaches Level Red with the Possibility of Reaching Level Purple

## Ozone Forecasts and Warnings  E-mail Alerts

- TCEQ –
-    http:www.tceq.state.tx/cgi-bin/monops/select_curlev?region12_cur.gif
- Harris County Office of Emergency Management
-    _[http://ozone.hcoem.org](http://ozone.hcoem.org/)_
-      Click “Subscribe to Ozone Alerts”

## How do you choose the monitors you want to receive ozone exceedance reports on? http://ozone.hcoem.org

## How do you choose the monitors you want to receive exceedance reports on?http://ozone.hcoem.org

**How do you choose the monitors you want to receive exceedance reports on?****http://ozone.hcoem.org**

## Identify the monitors of interest to you: http://ozone.hcoem.org

**Identify the monitors of interest to you:**** http://ozone.hcoem.org**

## Use the drop-down boxes to choose the monitors: http://ozone.hcoem.org

**Use the drop-down boxes to choose the monitors:**** http://ozone.hcoem.org**

## Air Quality Reference Guidefor the Houston-Galveston Area

_**www.hgac.cog.tx.us/transportation**_

##         More information

- Texas Commission On Environmental
-    Quality: _[www.tceq.state.tx.us](http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/)_
- Houston-Galveston Area Council:
-    _[www.hgac.cog.tx.us](http://www.hgac.cog.tx.us/)_
- Harris County Pollution Control _[www.](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[hd](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[.co.](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[harris](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[.](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[tx](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[.us/](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[pcd](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[/](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[pcd](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[.](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)__[htm](http://www.hd.co.harris.tx.us/pcd/pcd.htm)_:
- Jerry Harris-Air Sampling Coordinator
-    **( 713 ) 920-2831**