R5's H2S Monitoring Response to the Gulf BP Spill - ladco

GULF COAST H 2 S
MONITORING
AMAS SLT CONFERENCE
MARCH 30, 2011
Marta Fuoco and Chad McEvoy – ARD –AMAS

April 22, 2010

Region 5 AMAS
Previous experience monitoring H 2 S in Bridgeport IL
Resources Available:
Trailer
Monitors
Data Acquisition System
Meteorological Equipment
Knowledgeable/experienced staff
• Health and Safety Training & Equipment

VO3 H 2 S monitoring site in Buras, LA
V04
V05
Highest
peaks
V06
V04
V05
Highest
peaks
“Overall high” site:
consistently higher
than other sites
V06
V03
V01
V03
“Overall high” V02 site:
consistently higher
than other sites
Best infrastructure
V01
V02
Best infrastructure

Fri, July 02:
Tues, July 06:
Wed, July 07:
Thurs, July 08:
Fri, July 09:
Sat, July10:
Sun, July 11:
Gina McCarthy
talks with Cheryl
AMAS team
meets to begin
planning
T1 – travel to Bpt
T2 – prepare
trailer; remove
audit equipment
T1 –complete
audit
T2 – depart R5
T1 + T2 NOLA
T1 + T2 continue
14 hour drive to
NOLA
VO3 site set up,
instrument
running
Successful audit
and data
collection
July 2010

Monitoring:
• QAPP and SOPs written and approved by R5
• R5 deployed the mobile unit, two continuous H 2 S monitors
(primary and back-up), and a meteorological station with
a 10m mast to provide a better characterization of the
ambient air in the Gulf Region at an existing Oil Spill
Response site in Venice, Louisiana
• pulsed fluorescence instrument provided a much lower
detection limit of 1 ppb to assess H 2 S levels in the air
• 8 weeks of data collection, with one multi-day
interruption/evacuation due to Tropical Storm Bonnie
• unfamiliar conditions in the Gulf gave way to challenges
identified early in the planning process – humidity added
environmental stress on the units; staff worked with the
manufacturer to ensure continuous, proper operation
• instruments audited daily to ensure high data integrity

Inside R5 mobile monitoring station
Attaching met sensors to mast

R5 Mobile Monitoring Trailer - note mast and inlet
H 2 S pulsed fluorescence equipment and gas tanks

AIRNOW

Data Analysis:
• staff tracked progress 7 days a week
• data remotely accessed and analyzed from
office
• updated management daily
• data used to respond to citizens and
environmental groups asking for more
sophisticated monitoring in the area
• data uploaded in real-time to EPA website;
available for public tracking

H 2 S 30 minute rolling average

Temporal Relationship

R5’s Contribution
The collected continuous data
quickly dispelled any concerns of elevated H 2 S in Administration
quickly dispelled any concerns of elevated H 2 S in the community
provided a real-time interface for the public through
AIRNOW
introduced a new parameter -H 2 S - into AIRNOW
process serves as a model for how the Agency can
effectively present real-time data to the public in cases of
emergency or natural disasters

Memories…