Citing a report which is a compilation of studies performed by a number of different entities over the past four years, the release points to possible adverse effects of snowmobile emissions-effects which, according to the release, the National Park Service is mandated to mitigate. User groups and citizens of gateway communities are disturbed today by what they think is an effort by the park service to fan the flames of controversy and inject emotion where none is called for. Science, they say, has taken a back seat.
Inconsistencies exist between the air quality report and the studies from which it was compiled.
The document incorrectly reports the results of a February 1999 study at the west gate that monitored personal exposure for particulate matter. However, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the International Snowmobile Manufacturer s Association, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards were not exceeded. First of all, the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for acceptable particulate matter is 65, not 60. said Ed Klim, Executive Director of the International Snowmobile Manufacturer s Association, Secondly, the particulate figures reported within this document are based on an four hour exposure sample, instead of the 24 hour exposure standard. In other words, in order to fit this sample into the appropriate framework, you d have to divide the 116 and 122 figures by six, which brings the exposure down to 19 and 20 respectively. This doesn t even begin to approach a violation of the standard.