Great Basin Unified 

Air Pollution Control District

DRAFT

2013

Annual Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan

July 15, 2013

Prepared by

Christopher Lanane

Air Monitoring Specialist

Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District

157 Short Street

Bishop, California 93514

(760) 872-8211

(760) 872-6109 Fax

www.gbuapcd.org
ii

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction....................................................................................... 1

2.0 Public Comments................................................................................. 1

3.0 Network Design................................................................................. 1

Definition of Terms..................................................................... 9

Monitored Pollutants and Meteorological Variables ........................... 11

4.0 Special Programs.................................................................................15

5.0 Recent or Proposed Modifications to Network............................................. 15

6.0 Minimum Monitoring Requirements......................................................... 18

Appendix A. Site Information ........................................................................ 19

Appendix B. NCORE Monitoring Plan ............................................................... 23

Tables and Figures

Figure 1. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District map................................. 3

Figure 2. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District map, Owens Lake Detail......... 4

Figure 3. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District map, Mono Lake Detail ......... 5

Table 1. List of Monitoring Sites and Variables Monitored..........................................6

Table 2. Criteria Pollutant Monitoring Objectives and Spatial Scales.............................. 7

Table 3. Criteria Pollutant Monitoring Purposes...................................................... 8

Figure 4. Owens Lake Map: Dust Identification Program Detail ................................. 13

Figure 5. Mono Lake Map: Dust Identification Program Detail ................................. 14
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1.0 Introduction

An annual review of all national air quality monitoring networks is required by Federal 

regulations as a means to identify needs for addition, relocation, or termination of monitoring 

stations or instrumentation. The Annual Monitoring Network Plan (AMNP) prepared by the 

California Air Resources Board (CARB), the primary quality assurance organization of which 

the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (District) is a part, includes the area 

encompassed by the District. With this document, the District has sought to develop a more 

comprehensive and District-specific plan for submittal it the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). This plan describes the network of ambient air quality monitors to be operated by 

the District during the 2013 calendar year. It includes a review of actions taken in the monitoring 

network during the 2012-2013 fiscal year and plans for actions in the years ahead. This draft plan 

addresses the requirements for an annual network plan as listed in the Code of Federal 

Regulations, Title 40, Part 58, Section 10 (40 CFR 58.10). These regulations require that the 

AMNP be submitted to the EPA by July 1 of each year after a 30-day public comment period. 

The comment period for this plan began on June 14, 2013, and closed on July 15, 2013, after 

which the plan, along with the comments received during the comment period, will be submitted 

to EPA for approval.

The District staff, along with the CARB and EPA Region IX conducted a comprehensive review 

of the air monitoring stations throughout the District in 2007. State and Local Air Monitoring 

Station (SLAMS) designations, monitoring objectives, and spatial scales of representativeness 

were assigned to the criteria pollutants monitored by site. Each year, District staff conducts an 

annual review of the air monitoring network to evaluate whether the current monitoring 

strategies are meeting the needs of the District, to determine compliance with all current Federal 

and State regulations, and to aid in the development of future monitoring strategies. When 

monitoring station additions or relocations are warranted, site reports are written and/or updated 

locally and in the EPA’s Air Quality System (AQS) database to document compliance with 

established monitoring criteria.

2.0 Public Comments

Pursuant to Federal regulations, this draft plan was made available for public inspection and 

comment for at least 30 days prior to submission to the EPA. Notice of availability of the 

document was published in local newspapers and the document was posted to the District's 

website (www.gbuapcd.org) on June 14, 2013, under the link, “What's New.” The public review 

period provides an opportunity for the public, the EPA, and any other interested parties to 

provide comments on the plan. Comments received during the comment period will be included 

with the plan in the submission. Following the review period ending July 15, 2013, the plan will 

be submitted to EPA for approval of any SLAMS network changes.

3.0 Network Design

The District operates eighteen (18) air quality monitoring stations in four planning areas and in 

the general environs of the District’s three counties: Alpine, Inyo, and Mono. The planning areas 

in the District are: Coso Junction (formerly Searles Valley), Southern Owens Valley, Mono 
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Basin, and Mammoth Lakes. Figures 1 - 3 present maps of the entire District indicating the 

planning areas, three of which are PM10 nonattainment areas, the monitoring stations currently in 

operation, and those stations planned for installation this year. Note that three monitoring 

stations, North Beach, Mill Site, and Dirty Socks, were shut down due to the cancelation of 

leases in November 2012, by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, the land owner

and the air polluter responsible for the dust emissions from Owens Lake. These sites are noted in 

Figure 2 by the site name in outline text. District staff is working to relocate these stations onto 

public lands administered by the California State Lands Commission and the U.S. Bureau of 

Land Management by the end of 2013. The new locations are within approximately 500 meters 

of the former locations.

Table 1 provides a list of the monitoring stations, the pollutants measured at each station, the 

EPA Air Quality System (AQS, the EPA's national air quality data base) site codes, and the start 

date for each station. 

Table 2 presents the monitoring objective and spatial scale for each monitor at each site. A list 

of the monitoring objectives and a description of them is provided in this document. Portions of 

these monitoring objectives and their descriptions are adapted from the CARB annual network 

plan for 2011.

After consultation with the District Board and District monitoring specialists, the APCO 

determines monitoring locations in the District, as delegated by the CARB. Monitoring locations 

are then added to or removed from the network monitoring plan that is assembled and presented 

annually to the public for comment. This plan is then submitted to EPA for review. The EPA 

Region IX administrator has the final authority on the configuration of the monitoring network.

Multiple purposes for monitoring a pollutant at a particular site are possible. There is some 

overlap between monitoring objectives as defined by EPA, presented in Table 2, and the 

monitoring purposes presented in Table 3. A brief description of the network for each criteria 

pollutant monitored is provided here. Further site-specific information is presented in Appendix 

A.
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Figure 1. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District Map
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Figure 2. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District Map, Owens Lake detail
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Figure 3. Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District Map, Mono Lake detail
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Table 1. List of Monitoring Sites and Variables Monitored

 

* Monitor down temporarily due to lease cancellation by property owner. 

 ** PM10 monitoring ended at Flat Rock May 2011 when monitor was moved to Mill Site. 

Flat Rock now used for meteorological monitoring and video capture only.

 *** Special purpose monitoring stations. PM10 monitoring ended July 9, 2012, for T4 and 

August 22, 2012, for T23. 

 † PM10 monitoring ended August 2008; meteorological monitoring ended June 2011.

 †† District's Portable Monitoring Station berth, adjacent to District's NCORE station.
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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Table 2. Criteria Pollutant Monitoring Objectives and Spatial Scales

MONITORING OBJECTIVE SPATIAL SCALE

HC - Highest Concentration MI - Microscale

PO - Population Oriented MS - Middle Scale

SI – Source Impact NS - Neighborhood Scale

BK - Background Level US - Urban Scale

PT - Pollutant Transport RS – Regional Scale

VI – Visibility Impacts NaS – National Scale

SPM - Special Purpose Monitor GS – Global Scale

* Monitor down temporarily due to lease cancellation by property owner. 

 ** PM10 monitoring ended at Flat Rock May 2011 when monitor was moved to Mill 

Site. Flat Rock now used for meteorological monitoring and video capture only.

 *** T-4, T-23 were special purpose monitors that were shutdown July and August 

2012, respectively.

 † T-7 and T27 are special purpose monitors that began operation in July and August 

2012, respectively.

 †† PM10 monitoring ended August 2008; meteorological monitoring ended June 2011.
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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Table 3. Criteria Pollutant Monitoring Purposes

MONITORING PURPOSE

BK - Background Level RC - Representative Concentration

HC - High Concentration SO - Source Impact

TP - Pollutant Transport TR - Trend Analysis

EX - Population Exposure CP - Site Comparison

SPM - Special Purpose Monitor

* Monitor down temporarily due to lease cancellation by property owner. 

 ** PM10 monitoring ended at Flat Rock May 2011 when monitor was moved to Mill 

Site. Flat Rock now used for meteorological monitoring and video capture only.

 *** T-4, T-23 were special purpose monitors that were shutdown July and August 

2012, respectively.

† T-7 and T27 are special purpose monitors that began operation in July and August 2012, 

respectively.

 †† PM10 monitoring ended August 2008; meteorological monitoring ended 

June 2011.
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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Definitions

Background Level monitoring is used to determine general background levels of air 

pollutants.

Core-based Statistical Area (CBSA) is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and 

Budget as a statistical geographic entity consisting of the county or counties associated 

with at least one urbanized area/urban cluster of at least 10,000 population, plus adjacent 

counties having a high degree of social and economic integration. The two categories of 

CBSAs are metropolitan statistical areas and micropolitan statistical areas.

High Concentration monitoring is conducted at sites to find the highest concentration of 

an air pollutant in an area within a given monitoring network. A monitoring network may 

have multiple high concentration sites as a result of varying meteorology, source area 

variability, etc.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is defined by the EPA and by the U.S. Office of 

Management and Budget as areas having at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more 

population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic 

integration with the core as measured by commuting ties. 

Micropolitan Statistical Area (MiSA) is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.

S. Office of Management and Budget as an area heaving one urbanized area or urban 

cluster of between 10,000 and 50,000 population.

Monitoring Objectives are the measures for determining the level of pollutant impacts 

from particular sources at particular sites, i.e., to determine the highest concentrations 

(HC) affecting specific places from sources; the impact from a particular source or set of 

sources (SI) in a given area; the impact caused by concentrations affecting specific 

populations (PO), communities, etc.; background level (BK) concentrations measured 

upwind of sources or not impacted by sources; areas impacted by transport of pollution 

(PT) generated from distant sources; measuring impacts to visibility, plants, or other 

welfare affects (VI).

Monitoring Planning Area (MPA) is defined by the EPA as a contiguous geographic 

area with established, well-defined boundaries, such as a metropolitan statistical area, 

county, or State, having a common area that is used for planning monitoring locations for 

PM2.5. MPAs may cross political boundaries, e.g., State, County, etc. MPAs are 

generally oriented toward areas with populations greater than 200,000.

Nonattainment Area is any area that does not attain the standard for at least one of the 

pollutants for which there are National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Pollutant Transport is the movement of pollutant(s) between air basins or areas within 

an air basin. Pollutant transport monitoring is used to assess and address sources from 

upwind areas when those transported pollutant(s) affect neighboring downwind areas. 
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Transport monitoring can also be used to determine the extent of regional pollutant 

transport.

Population Exposure monitoring is conducted to represent the air pollutant 

concentrations to which a populated area is exposed.

Representative Concentration monitoring is conducted to determine pollutant 

concentrations over a homogeneous geographical area. These sites do not necessarily 

indicate the highest concentrations in an area for a particular pollutant.

Site Comparison monitoring is used to assess the effect of moving a monitoring location 

a short distance (approximately 2 miles or less) on measured pollutant levels. Some 

monitoring stations become unusable due to development, change of lease terms, 

eviction, etc. In these cases, attempts are made to conduct concurrent monitoring at both 

the old and new monitoring locations for a period of time in order to compare pollutant 

concentrations at both.

Source Impact monitoring is used to determine the impact of particular and significant 

sources of pollutant emissions on the air quality. Air pollutant sources may be stationary 

or mobile.

Spatial Scales define the concentrations within a given area that has relatively uniform 

land use and reasonably homogeneous geography. These scales are defined as follows:

Microscale - defines an area with dimensions ranging from several 

meters up to about 100 meters (several yards up to 100 yards).

Middle Scale - defines an area of up to several city blocks in size, 

with dimensions ranging from about 100 meters to 0.5 kilometers (100 

yards to 1/3 mile)

Neighborhood Scale - defines an area with dimensions in the 0.5 to 

4.0 kilometer range (1/3 mile to 2.5 miles). Most of the District's sites 

have been determined to be neighborhood scale sites.

Urban Scale - defines an area with dimensions on the order of 4 to 50 

kilometers (2.5 miles to 30 miles).

Regional Scale - usually defines rural areas and extends from tens to 

hundreds of kilometers (or miles).

National and Global Scale - these measurement scales represent 

pollutant concentrations characterizing the nation and the globe as a 

whole.

Special Purpose Monitors are used for surveys to determine whether a permanent 

monitor need be installed. They are also used to determine whether an existing 

monitoring network provides sufficient coverage to an area for determining pollutant 

impacts to that area.
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Trend Analysis monitoring is useful for comparing and analyzing air pollution 

concentrations over time. Trend analysis can show the progress or lack thereof in 

improving the air quality for a given area over a period of many years.

Monitored Pollutants and Meteorological Variables

PM10

Medium-volume size selective inlet filter-based PM10 monitors (Rupprecht & 

Patashnick/Thermo Partisol Plus 2025) are or will be operated at four (4) sites. Monitoring at the 

sites is conducted on either the Federal one-in-three-day schedule or on a daily schedule. Filterbased monitors typically measure integrated 24-hour-average PM concentrations.

Continuous PM10 and PM2.5 monitors (Rupprecht & Patashnick TEOM 1400a AB monitors) are 

operated in conjunction with filter-based monitors at three of the four filter-based sites. 

Continuous PM10 monitors alone are operated at an additional 12 fixed sites and an additional 

two continuous PM10 monitors in portable stations. The advantage of continuous PM10 monitors 

is that they are capable of measuring hourly pollutant concentrations. These continuous PM10

monitors are concentrated in areas of high PM10 impact: e.g. around the shoreline of Owens 

Lake, in the Town of Mammoth Lakes, at the site of maximum impact on the north shore of 

Mono Lake. Hourly resolution of PM10 concentrations enables the District to more accurately 

determine the source of the emissions, especially in short-term wind-event driven emissive areas 

like Owens and Mono Lakes.

PM2.5

The District operates one collocated PM2.5 monitoring station at the Keeler monitoring site. The

monitors are medium volume filter-based Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) samplers

(Rupprecht & Patashnick Partisol Plus 2025 with a very sharp-cut cyclone (VSCC) for PM2.5). 

The primary monitor operates on the Federal 1-in-3-day schedule and the collocated monitor 

operates on the Federal 1-in-12-day schedule. The District also operates one continuous PM2.5

monitor at the Keeler station that collects hourly PM2.5 concentrations. It should be noted that, 

as the entire District’s population is less than the minimum requirements (50,000) for a 

metropolitan statistical area under 40 CFR 58 Appendix D, Section 4.7, no additional PM2.5 

monitoring locations are required. The Keeler site monitors the highest concentrations of PM10 

for a populated community in the District and state and local staff determined that the District’s 

PM2.5 station should be located this site, which provides data for population-oriented 

representative PM2.5 particulate concentrations. 

Meteorology

The District operates meteorological sensors at nearly all permanent fixed monitoring stations. 

Meteorological variables measured include wind speed, wind direction and ambient temperature. 

In addition, at some locations relative humidity, barometric pressure and precipitation are also 

monitored.
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Network Description

Owens Lake

The Owens Lake monitoring network consists of a combination of twelve (12) ambient air 

monitoring stations: seven (7) stations ring the lake along the historic shoreline, one of which is 

a population-based station, located at Keeler; two other population-oriented sites are located in 

the communities of Lone Pine north of the lake and Olancha, south of the lake. An additional 

monitor is located 20 miles south of the lake at Coso Junction. This station is used for modeling 

of Owens Lake plume trajectories and is used to monitor local source impacts in the Coso 

Junction Planning Area. Each station utilizes an R&P TEOM continuous monitor for PM10 

measurements. Ten (10) of the ambient air monitoring stations in the Owens Lake network are 

designated as SLAMS sites. 

Dust Identification Program

In addition to the ten SLAMS stations around the Owens Lake, the District operates two air 

quality stations: one at the locations designated T7 on the south end of the lake, and another, 

designated T27 toward the east central area of the lake; and four meteorological stations. These 

are special purpose monitors used to determine dust source areas requiring mitigation and are 

part of the District's Dust Identification Program. In addition, the program consists of a series of 

approximately 175 sand motion sensors (Sensits) and accompanying sand collection devices 

(Cox Sand Catchers (CSCs)) operated by the District as well as 48 Sensit/CSC sites operated by 

the City of Los Angeles. The network also utilizes dust observations made by District personnel 

during wind events and eleven (10) camera stations with a total of 16 cameras collecting images 

of the lakebed every thirty seconds during daylight hours. This system coupled with the model 

and the SLAMS stations described above enables the District to pinpoint emissive areas of the 

lakebed that may cause or contribute to exceedances of the Federal PM10 standard. A map 

detailing the locations of the monitoring sites used for the Dust ID program is presented in 

Figure 4. Please note stations that are temporarily down due to lease cancelation by the 

landowner are marked with a horizontal line through the site name.

Mammoth Lakes

The Mammoth Lakes monitoring network consists of one monitoring station located in the Town 

of Mammoth Lakes. This station utilizes an R&P TEOM for hourly-resolved PM10

concentrations and an R&P 2025 Partisol Sequential Sampler operating on the one-in-three-day 

schedule for 24-hour integrated PM10 concentration data. This station is used by the District to 

determine compliance with the Federal PM10 standard for this previously nonattainment 

community. The hourly resolved data allows Town personnel to forecast and determine "noburn" days for wood stove operators in order to maintain compliance with the Federal PM10

standard.

NCORE

The District has also been asked by EPA to install and operate a rural NCORE station. This 

station has been installed at the District's White Mountain Research Station monitoring site. The 

station was online April 1, 2011. Further details on the station are contained in Appendix B, 

which contains a standalone monitoring plan for the District's NCORE station.
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Figure 4. Owens Lake Map: Dust Identification Program Detail
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Mono Lake

The Mono Lake monitoring network consists of three monitoring stations: Lee Vining, Simis 

Ranch, and Mono Shore. Through August of 2008, PM10 concentrations were collected using 

BGI PQ200 monitors located at Simis Ranch and Mono Shore. PM10 concentrations at Lee 

Vining, a population-based site, are also collected using an R&P 2025 Partisol Sequential 

Sampler. The BGI monitors at Simis Ranch were removed and not replaced due to the fact that 

no exceedances had been measured there since 1996, and a point-of-maximum-impact site, 

Mono Shore, being outfitted with a PM10 monitor in 1999. The BGI monitors at Mono Shore 

were replaced in 2008 with an off-the-grid solar-powered R&P TEOM PM10 continuous monitor. 

The TEOM provides hourly-resolved PM10 concentrations and has provided the District with the 

opportunity to develop a Dust ID program at Mono Lake. This Dust ID network consists of 

twenty-five (25) sites with CSCs. Ten (10) of those sites have collocated Sensits associated with 

them. This network is used to measure the mass of saltating particles to estimate sand flux rates 

across a 2km2 area. The Mono Lake Dust ID network is presented in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Mono Lake Map: Dust Identification Program Detail
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4.0 Special Programs

The District periodically conducts special monitoring programs for rule compliance and pollutant 

level assessment. The data gathered are for informational purposes initially and may lead to 

designation of special purpose monitors, as defined under Title 40 CFR 58.20, or to permanent 

monitoring locations in the District’s network, or to nothing beyond the initial purpose of 

information gathering. During the 2013 monitoring year, the District will be conducting the 

special programs listed below.

Portable PM10 Monitoring

Staff determined there was a need for small portable TEOM monitors that 

could be transported to monitoring locations and set up for short-term episode 

PM10 monitoring. Staff has constructed two portable TEOM stations each of 

which utilizes a propane-fired generator for power. The stations can operate 

for more than five days on two small tanks of propane. The stations have 

been successfully operated during several episodes on and around Owens 

Lake from February 2010 to the present. Most recently these stations have 

been in operation at the Boulder Creek RV Park and Duck Pond stations 

around Owens Lake.

5.0 Recent or Proposed Modifications to Network

Owens Lake

Two on-lake PM10 monitoring stations, designated T4 and T23, were removed from the network 

in July and August 2012, respectively. Two additional on-lake PM10 monitoring stations, 

designated T7 and T27, were installed in the Owens Lake Network in July and August 2012, 

respectively, as well. Each of these stations consisted of one TEOM 1400ab continuous PM10

monitor in a temperature-controlled shelter and meteorological sensors for wind speed and 

direction. The purpose of these special purpose monitors (SPMs) is to measure PM10 emissions 

near the remaining source areas on the lakebed and to further refine the District’s Dust 

Identification Program model. 

During May 2011, the PM10 monitoring system was shut down at the Flat Rock station and 

moved to the Mill Site. The Flat Rock station was being impacted by dust emitting areas 

between the station and the 3,600-foot regulatory shoreline. An analysis was conducted and 

District staff determined that source areas from the lakebed impacted Flat Rock infrequently and 

that the Shell Cut station would also typically monitor those lakebed source areas. The District 

had a critical need to fill a gap in the network on the east shore of the lake south of Keeler in 

order to measure lakebed emission impacts caused by winds from the west, thus the PM10 

monitor at Flat Rock was moved to the Mill Site location. Within the week after the move, the 

Mill Site monitor measured an exceedance of the Federal PM10 standard from lakebed sources 

driven by winds from the west. 

In November 2012, the leases for the Dirty Socks, Mill, and North Beach monitoring stations 

were canceled by the owner, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. These stations, 

marked, “Station,” on the Dust ID map (Figure 4), and “Station,” on the Owens Lake detail 
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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map (Figure 2), were removed from their locations and, thus, are temporarily down due to this 

lease cancellation. The District is in the process of securing new leases, for monitoring locations 

within 300 meters of the old locations, on lands administered by the California State Lands 

Commission (CSLC) and by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is anticipated that 

monitoring will begin at these new locations by the end of 2013.

Coso Junction

The Coso Junction monitoring station serves to measure both locally-produced PM10 for the 

Coso Junction Management Area, and as a transport site for windblown PM10 from Owens Lake 

to the north. When the Area was designated, “ in attainment,” in 2010, it was noted that the 

station could be affected by local sources around the monitoring station. In order to address this 

concern, monthly reports were produced for the first year of operation after the designation took 

place. During that period, the local sources were covered with gravel and/or cinders and the 

areas where vegetation had died off were watered and replanted with native plant species. 

Additionally, a camera was installed at the site to help with monitoring emissions from local 

sources. Collection of valid data resumed August 1, 2010, at the Coso Junction PM10 

monitoring station.

Mammoth Lakes

No changes or modifications are anticipated for the 2013 monitoring year.

Mono Lake

The District has operated monitoring stations in the Mono Basin area for approximately 18 years. 

Over the last year, District staff assessed the Mono Lake monitoring network and determined 

that some changes needed to be made. First, staff determined it was necessary to collect hourlyresolved PM10 data at the Mono Lake North Shore site, especially during the episodic dust 

storms at the Lake. Second, it was determined that staff needed to operate the network and 

utilize resources more efficiently. 

In order to address the first determination, a continuous TEOM PM10 monitor was installed in 

May 2008 at the Mono Lake North Shore site to facilitate the collection of hourly-resolved PM10

data. An additional goal was set for the Mono Shore site to operate the continuous PM10 monitor 

through the entire year, rather than seasonally as had been done with the filter-based monitors. 

In addressing the second determination, staff noted that no PM10 violations had been measured at 

the Simis Ranch site since August 31, 1996. The District had collected 12 years of data 

subsequent to that measured violation. As a result, the decision was made to cease the collection 

of PM10 data at the Simis Ranch site as of August 2008. Meteorological monitoring at the Simis 

Ranch site was suspended in July 2011.

The North Shore site is off the power grid and consists of a large solar power array and battery 

system. In order to minimize power consumption, the TEOM is housed in a custom-designed 

Zomeworks Cool Cell. The Cool Cell regulates the temperature of the Cell housing the TEOM 

passively using a water radiator and reservoir system to regulate the Cell temperature. The 

continuous monitor and the seasonally (non-winter) operating filter-based medium volume PM10

monitors (BGI PQ200) were operated side-by-side from May through August 2008 in order to 

provide comparison data between the two different monitoring methods. After that comparison 
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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period, the filter-based monitors were shut down and removed from service, leaving the 

continuous PM10 monitor as the primary monitor for that station.

Future changes to the Mono Lake network include the installation of a continuous TEOM PM10 

monitor in the community of Lee Vining. The District has operated a filter-based PM10 monitor 

in Lee Vining, located on the southwest side of Mono Lake, for over 15 years. Plans are to install 

a continuous TEOM PM10 monitor in Lee Vining station in 2013-14. 

National Core Multipollutant Monitoring Station (NCORE)

The District was chosen by EPA Region IX staff to install and operate one of the EPA NCORE 

monitoring stations. The NCORE network consists of 75-plus monitoring stations around the 

nation that will be used by EPA for determining national monitoring and regulatory strategies. 

Seven monitoring stations are to be placed in California and the District was chosen to operate 

one of them: a rural NCORE site. These sites will be funded by EPA for capital equipment and 

operation and maintenance. 

The first phase of funding began with the 2008 calendar year. Funds were received for the 

procurement of the prescribed monitoring equipment which includes: a low-level carbon 

monoxide monitor (CO), a low-level sulfur dioxide monitor (SO2), a low-level reactive nitrogen 

compounds monitor (NOy), a low-level ozone monitor (O3), and a calibration system for the 

monitors. The EPA also provided the District with funds for the procurement of a monitoring 

station enclosure in which to house the NCORE monitoring equipment. The District's NCORE 

site is located at the White Mountain Research Station, east of Bishop, near the current berth of 

the District's Portable Monitoring Station. Final approval of the site by EPA headquarters was 

given in mid-2009. Installation of the station and procurement and installation of the remaining 

equipment took place throughout 2012. Data of record have been collected since January 1, 

2013. The station is scheduled for completion September 1, 2013.
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6.0 Minimum Monitoring Requirements

The District’s jurisdictional boundaries encompass no Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) as 

defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and the U. S. Census Bureau (population 

greater than 50,000). The District does, however, contain Monitoring Planning Areas defined as 

“areas determined to be (potentially) in violation of the PM2.5 NAAQS.” The District is also 

required to operate at least one monitor in each of the three (3) PM10 nonattainment areas and in 

the one (1) attainment area (the Coso Junction Area was designated attainment in October 2010). 

The District’s network meets or exceeds the minimum monitoring requirements for criteria 

pollutants as detailed below. Please note that the Coso Junction Management Area (formerly the 

Searles Valley Nonattainment Area) encompasses the northern portion of the Searles Valley, 

immediately north of Pioneer Point, as well as the Rose Valley in the southwestern portion of 

Inyo County.

PM10

Min. No. No. of

Nonattainment Monitors Monitors

Area Monitors Required Active

Coso Junction 1 1

Owens Lake 1 7*

Mammoth Lakes 1 2

Mono Basin 1 2

PM2.5

Min. No. No. of

Monitors Monitors

MPA Required Active

Keeler 1 2+1 collo.

* Number excludes the three stations down temporarily due to lease cancellation.

7.0 Data Certification and Reporting

CARB, as the District’s PQAO, has delegated the responsibilities for data collection, validation 

and reporting to the District, as the monitoring organization. District staff ensures that all data 

and statistical reports are submitted to the Air Quality System, the EPA’s national air monitoring 

database, and that the data are certified annually, as required by regulation. Precision and 

accuracy reports are generated annually by the District and submitted to AQS. The 2012 District 

dataset in AQS was certified by the District on April 25, 2013.
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APPENDIX A

Site Information Summaries

Site Reports
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Table A.1

* Monitor down temporarily due to lease cancellation by property owner. 

 ** PM10 monitoring ended at Flat Rock May 2011. Flat Rock now used for meteorological monitoring and 

video capture only.

 *** T-4, T-23 were special purpose monitors that were shutdown July and August 2012, respectively.

† T-7 and T27 are special purpose monitors that began operation in July and August 2012, respectively.

 †† PM10 monitoring ended August 2008; meteorological monitoring ended June 2011.
Draft Air Quality Monitoring Network Plan – July 2013

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 Table A.2

* Monitor down temporarily due to lease cancellation by property owner. 

 ** PM10 monitoring ended at Flat Rock May 2011. Flat Rock now used for meteorological monitoring and video 

capture only.

 *** T-4, T-23 were special purpose monitors that were shutdown July and August 2012, respectively.

† T-7 and T27 are special purpose monitors that began operation in July and August 2012, respectively.

 †† PM10 monitoring ended August 2008; meteorological monitoring ended June 2011.
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Table A.3
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APPENDIX B

NCORE Station Monitoring Plan
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1

Great Basin Unified 

Air Pollution Control District

2013 Ambient Air Monitoring 

Network Plan

For

National Core (NCORE) Monitoring Station

located at

White Mountain Research Center

Bishop, California

July 15, 2013

Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District

157 Short Street

Bishop, California 93514
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National Core (NCore) Multi-pollutant Monitoring Stations:

In October 2006 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final 

amendments to the ambient air monitoring regulations for criteria pollutants. These amendments 

are codified in 40 CFR parts 53 and 58. The purpose of the amendments was to enhance ambient 

air quality monitoring to better serve current and future air quality needs. One of the most 

significant changes in the regulations was the requirement to establish National Core (NCore) 

multi-pollutant monitoring stations. These stations will provide data on several pollutants at 

lower detection limits and replace the National Air Monitoring Station (NAMS) networks that 

have existed for several years. The final network plan was to be submitted to EPA by July 1, 

2010 and the stations were to be operational by January 1, 2011. Delays in funding and 

procurement of equipment have resulted in a delay of the start of monitoring at the District’s 

NCore station until January 1, 2013.

The NCore Network addresses the following monitoring objectives:

• timely reporting of data to the public through AIRNow, air quality forecasting, and other public 

reporting mechanisms 

• support development of emission strategies through air quality model evaluation and other 

observational methods 

• accountability of emission strategy progress through tracking long-term trends of criteria and 

non-criteria pollutants and their precursors 

• support long-term health assessments that contribute to ongoing reviews of the National Ambient 

Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 

• compliance through establishing nonattainment/attainment areas by comparison with the 

NAAQS 

• support multiple disciplines of scientific research, including; public health, atmospheric and 

ecological

In 2007, 2010, and 2011, EPA provided funding to the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control 

District (the District) to establish an NCore station in the Eastern Sierra region of California. 

After evaluating the existing network, historical data, meteorology, and topography the District 

recommends the following changes to its air monitoring network to become effective July 1, 

2009, and implemented by January 1, 2010:

1) Establish an NCore multi-pollutant monitoring station in the Eastern Sierra region at the White 

Mountain Research Center (formerly Station) (WMRC), 3000 East Line Street, Bishop, 

California. The location meets the objective for a rural NCore site and meets regional scale 

criteria for PM2.5, PM10, ozone (O3), total reactive nitrogen compounds (NOy), and carbon 

monoxide (CO).

2) For the near-term, collocate the NCore station with the District's existing Portable monitoring 

station, which collects data for PM10 (continuous), wind speed, wind direction, ambient 

temperature, and relative humidity.
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Monitoring Objective

Determine compliance with NAAQS; observe pollution trends for national data analysis, provide 

pollution levels for daily index reporting; and provide data for scientific studies.

Table 1 Monitors

Monitor Type Designation Analysis Method Frequency of 

Sampling

Carbon 

Monoxide (CO)

NCore Automated Reference Method utilizing 

trace level non-dispersive infrared 

analysis.

Continuously

Sulfur Dioxide 

(SO2)

NCore Automated Equivalent Method utilizing 

trace level UV fluorescence analysis

Continuously

PM10 TEOM SLAMS Automated Equivalent Method utilizing 

Tapered Element Oscillating 

Microbalance/gravimetric analysis

Continuously

Total Reactive 

Nitrogen (NOy)

NCore Automated trace level 

chemiluminescence analysis.

Continuously

Meteorological SLAMS Air quality measurements approved 

instrumentation for wind speed, wind 

direction, humidity, temperature

Continuously

Ozone (O3) NCore Automated trace level Equivalent 

Method utilizing an Ultraviolet 

Photometer

Continuously

Quality Assurance Status

All Quality Assurance procedures shall be implemented in accordance with 40 CFR 58, Appendix A. 

Quality Assurance Project Plans from the CARB and the District cover PM10, PM2.5, and 

meteorological measurements. For the trace level instruments, the quality assurance project plan and 

standard operating procedures (SOPs) utilized currently by the CARB will be used for each new 

instrument in the project. The first annual performance evaluation of the District’s NCORE station 

is scheduled for September 2013, and will be conducted by CARB QA staff.

Area of Representativeness

40 CFR Part 58 Appendix D provides design criteria for ambient air monitoring. The monitoring 

objective for the NCore site is to produce data that represents a large area and therefore the spatial 

scale of the site is important. The spatial scale defines the physical dimensions of the air parcel 

nearest to a monitoring site throughout which actual pollutant concentrations are reasonably similar. 

It is determined by the characteristics of the area surrounding the air monitoring site and the site’s 

distance from nearby air pollution sources such as roadways, factories, etc. In the case of rural 

NCore stations, which are to be located to determine general background concentrations levels, the 

spatial scales to be used are regional or larger. Table 2 shows the area of representativeness for each 

pollutant for the WMRC site.
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Table 2: Spatial Scales for Each Pollutant

Pollutant Spatial Scale Comments

NOy Regional Scale Same scale as used for O3

CO > Middle Scale No Regional scale for CO

SO2 > Neighborhood Scale No Regional scale for SO2

PM10 > Neighborhood Scale No Regional scale for PM10

O3 Regional Scale Same scale as used for NOy

For regional scale the area covered is tens of kilometers to hundreds of kilometers. 

There are no MSAs within the District's current monitoring network due to the sparse population in 

this high desert setting, approximately 2 people per square mile. On a 10 km scale the land use 

varies from riparian areas along the Owens River 0.6 kilometers west of the site to light industry, 

small commercial, and residential in the City of Bishop (population 4,000) 5 kilometers west of the 

site. The topography of the area varies from high desert to mountain peaks.
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The White Mountain Research Center’s Owens Valley Laboratory, where the NCore monitoring 

station is located, is in the Owens Valley, a high-desert valley, the floor of which is at an average 

elevation of 4,000 feet above mean sea level. The valley is open north to south and is bordered on 

the east by the White Mountains that rise from the valley floor to an elevation of 10,000 feet, with 

peaks up to 14,000 feet. The valley is bordered on the west by the Sierra Nevada range, which rises 

in elevation up to 14,000 feet. As can be seen from the District map and the area-wide view below, 

the NCore site is located East of the City of Bishop and east of the developed area around the City. 

The wind rose above indicates the prevailing wind directions of north and south, up and down the 

Owens Valley. The placement of the NCore site east of Bishop provides an excellent location for 

measuring background pollutant concentrations as there are no major pollution sources, other than 

particulate matter, for 100km. 

White Mountain Research Center (formerly Station)

Regional Pollutant Scale 50 and 100 km radii
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The Owens Valley, Mono Basin, and Mammoth Lakes Nonattainment areas have been 

designated as such due to PM10 concentrations that exceed the Federal standard of 150μg/m3. 

The sources of these concentrations are wind-blown dust from the exposed lakebeds of the 

Owens and Mono lakes and wintertime wood smoke and road cinders, in the case of Mammoth 

Lakes. The PM10 influence around Mono Lake is largely restricted to the immediate basin by the 

topography. The influence around Owens Lake is mostly caused by north winds driving the dust 

south. Occasional south wind storms will drive the dust northward, but the impacts generally 

reach only to the community of Independence, 20 miles north of Owens Lake and 40 miles south 

of the station at the White Mountain Research Center. During north wind events, occasional dust 

may impact the station from the Chalfant and Hammil Valleys from agricultural fields not 

properly mitigated.

White Mountain Research Station

Topographic Regional Map (90 km radius shown)
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Site Description and Spacing:

Site Name: White Mountain Research Center

AQS ID: 06-027-0002

Location: (WMRC - 3000 East Line Street) NCore Station – 200 Poleta Road

County: Inyo

GPS Coordinates: 37°21'38" North Latitude, 118°19'50" West Longitude

Date Established: April 7, 2006

Inspection Date: August 20, 2009

Inspection By: Catherine Brown, EPA IX

Site Approval Status: Approved

___________________________________________________________________________
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The station is located on the grounds of the University of California White 

Mountain Research Center. The location is in the northeast portion of Inyo 

County and is approximately 0.6 km east of the Owens River and 5 km east of 

Bishop, California.
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NCore and PM2.5 SLAMS Siting Criteria

Appendix E to 40 CFR Part 58-Probe and Monitoring Path Siting Criteria for Ambient Air 

Quality Monitoring contains specific location criteria applicable to NCore and SLAMS siting. 

The following measurements and data were obtained for evaluation of compliance with the 

criteria. 

1. Horizontal Placement of Sampling Probes:

The gaseous instruments are located in an 8’w x 8’ h x 20’l air monitoring shelter located in an 

open area. The nearest building is the WMRC maintenance building approximately 150 meters 

east of the station. The sample probe inlets are installed approximately 4 meters above the 

ground. The Districts Portable monitoring station is placed next to the NCore air monitoring 

shelter and includes a 10-meter telescoping meteorological tower.

Manual particulate samplers to be used for the NCore program will be placed on the metal 

monitoring platform adjacent to the NCore shelter. The height of the inlets of the filter-based

particulate samplers above ground is approximately 5 meters. The inlet for the continuous PM10

monitor in the Portable station is approximately 1.5 meters above the roof and approximately 

4.25 meters above the ground. Inlets for the continuous particulate samplers in the NCore station 

will be placed on the roof of the air monitoring shelter with the sample inlets 1 meter above the 

roof (4 meters above ground). The control units will be located inside the temperature-controlled 

shelter. 

2. Spacing from Obstructions:

There are no obstructions to air flow around the site. The WMRC maintenance building is 

located 150 meters east of the proposed NCore station location and is 4 meters in height. This 

potential obstruction is 37 times the height of the obstruction away from the station and is not in 

a quadrant where it would affect the prevailing wind direction.

3. Spacing from Roadways:

Tables E-1, E-2, and Figure E-1 of 40 CFR Part 58 Appendix E list the minimum distances from 

roadways a monitoring probe needs to be based on the average daily traffic (ADT) counts. Table 

3 summarizes the findings and includes the minimum separation distance from roadways for 

each pollutant. ADT counts were obtained from traffic count data from the California 

Department of Transportation's (CalTrans) website, at:

http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/2011all
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Table 3

Spacing from Roadways Analysis

Minimum Distance Required (meters)

Roadway ADT Distance from 

site (meters)

Ozone

Table 

E-1

NO/NOy

Table E1

CO

Table 

E-2

PM

Figure 

E-1

US Highway 395 15,200 (2011) 5,700 40 30 45 80 

East Line Street,

Poleta Road

<1000 (estimated) 85 40 30 45 80 

4. Spacing from Minor Sources:

The closest source to the site is the community of Bishop, California, 5 kilometers east of the 

site. The greater Bishop area has a population of approximately 12,600 (2010 US Census 

Bureau). Pollutant sources are limited to small businesses, residential home heating, vehicular 

traffic (15,200 per day) along US Highway 395. There are two permitted sources near the site:

7/11 Materials 4.5 km to the west and Standard Industrial Minerals 5 km to the north. These 

sources are listed below (Table 4) along with their emission rates. The first source is a concrete 

batch plant and the second is a non-metallic minerals (primarily kaolin clay) processing plant. 

These plants' operating schedules are limited to 3 to 5 days per week and to a certain number of 

weeks per year, usually in the summer months.

Table 4

Minor Source Emissions

Emissions Rates

Source Emissions Type

Hours of

Operation

Per day

Pounds

Per Hr.

For Op

Pounds per hour

24hrs/day, 365 days/yr.

7/11 Materials particulate 14 5.7 0.26

Standard Industrial 

Minerals

particulate 8 4.22 0.19
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 N

W E

 S

Direction Description Distance from Site

North Power line along Line Street/Laws-Poleta Road 124 meters

North East White Mountains 14 kilometers

East WMRC Maintenance Building (maintenance and repair shop) 150 meters

South East Owens Valley, open land

South Owens Valley, open land

South west Owens Valley, open land

West Bench above Owens River 600 meters

North West Owens Valley, open land
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Site Details:

The Google Earthtm image on page 7 indicates where the air monitoring shelter is located on the 

White Mountain Research Station compound. The shelter is 8’ w x 8’h x 20’ l. The roof of the 

shelter is flat to support the sample inlets for the continuous particulate samplers and has 

additional room for other samplers if the need arises. Immediately adjacent to the shelter is the 

sampling platform that provides a 10’ x 20’ area elevated to the level of the shelter roof where 

future monitors can be installed. The 10-meter meteorological tower and the District's Portable 

monitoring station are placed north of the NCore shelter and sampling platform (See photos in 

the NCore Site Report). The meteorological tower is a telescoping type that provides for easy 

servicing and calibration of the meteorological instruments. The shelter is wired for 200-amp 

service and has internet and cellular telephone connections. The shelter has a heating and air 

conditioning system that maintains indoor temperatures between 20-30 o C, as required for the 

operation of the pollutant gas analyzers.