NCore Site Moving

NCore (National Core Monitoring Network) is a multi pollutant network that integrates several advanced measurement systems for particles, pollutant gases and meteorology. This network will consist of 75 to 80 monitoring sites nationwide. The intent of these sites, located both in urban and rural areas, is to be “representative” of monitoring sites across the nation. These sites will assist in determining pollutant trends between regions over differing time periods.

The Taft site at the HCDOES office has been selected by USEPA to be the Cincinnati NCore site. Additional sites in Ohio include Cleveland and Preble County. The Preble County site will be operated by the Regional Air Pollution Control Association (RAPCA), located in Dayton, Ohio. The Preble County site is designated as a rural NCore site. These sites are to be fully operational and collecting data no later than January 1, 2011.

The NCore Network objectives are to report data to the public in a timely manner via AirNow, air quality forecasting and other public reporting mechanisms, support long-term health assessments that contribute to ongoing reviews of the NAAQS, compliance through establishing nonattainment/attainment areas through comparison with the NAAQS, support for development and accountability of emission strategies and support to scientific studies and ecosystem assessments.

The criteria pollutants, CO and SO2, are included in the NCore monitoring strategy because of their roles as precursors for other pollutants. Total reactive nitrogen oxides or NOy will be measured instead or in addition to NO2. These pollutants will be monitored at significantly lower levels. The monitoring equipment must be able to reliably measure low concentrations of these pollutants.

Additional pollutants to be monitored include PM2.5 both gravimetric and continuous, speciated PM2.5, coarse PM, lead, ozone and surface meteorology. Future monitoring includes coarse PM speciation, ammonia and nitric acid.