Program Responsibilities

• Assess compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Alaska Air Quality Standards (AAQS) by operating air quality monitoring networks around the state

• Provide technical assistance to the public, local government agencies, tribal organizations, and industries and assist in developing their monitoring plans and projects

• Issue Air Quality Advisories to inform the public of unhealthy air quality conditions caused by smoke, dust, volcanic ashfall, carbon monoxide, etc.

• Conduct emergency air quality monitoring in response to volcanic ashfall, wildfires, etc.

• Develop and maintain air quality databases to improve assessment, mapping, and reporting of environmental conditions

• Provide quality assurance and quality control oversight for statewide air quality monitoring operations

• Review Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) submitted by industrial sources;

• Assist villages with local dust monitoring projects

• Oversee the Air Quality delegated programs of the Municipality of Anchorage and the Fairbanks North Star Borough

• Participate in the nationwide Mercury Deposition Network (MDN), with sites in Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, and, Nome (discontinued 9/30/2015)

Pollutants Monitored

Monitoring Instruments and Sites

• Particulate Matter Monitors
• Gaseous Pollutant Monitors
• Mercury Deposition Monitors (discontinued 9/30/2015)
• Radiation Monitors
• IMPROVE Network

• Long Term Monitoring Sites Map

Air Quality Data

• Near real‐time data from monitoring sites around the state is available online at DEC's Air Quality Index webpage. *Note: Data is preliminary and subject to change after quality assurance analysis

• DEC reports most air pollutant data to an online EPA database. The public can access this database through EPA's AirData website.

• DEC does not submit data from some short term monitoring projects to EPA. This data is available in reports online or by contacting AMQA staff.

• Submit data requests to: amqa-data-request@alaska.gov