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Update on Wildfires Impacting Valley Air Quality in 2018

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Update on Wildfires Impacting Valley Air Quality in 2018 San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Governing Board Meeting August 16, 2018 Wildfire Air Quality Impacts • Emissions and public health impact from wildfires overwhelm all stationary and mobile sources combined • Wildfires generate particulate, NOx, VOC, and other pollutants • Cause excessively high PM2.5 and ozone concentrations –High PM2.5 levels during summer (typically peaks in winter) –Peak ozone levels this season due to wildfire pollution • District supporting efforts to develop more effective fuel reduction strategies • Extensive public outreach concerning wildfire health dangers and potential solutions 2 Comparison of Emissions from Mendocino Complex Fire to Entire Valley Emissions Inventory (Single Day) 10,000 Mendocino Complex Fire 9,000 Valley (Stationary, Area, Mobile) 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 tons per per day tons 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 PM10 PM2.5 NOx VOC 3 California Forests Primed for Large Wildfires • Unprecedented levels of fuel buildup due to decades of forest mismanagement • Valley and California recently experienced worst drought in over 100 years • Tree mortality epidemic from bark beetle infestation creating additional fuel for wildfires • Fire danger at all-time high • Nearly 1 million acres already burned in 2018 4 Increasing Number of Fires • Wildfire acreage year-to-date in 2018 has already surpassed total acreage for 2017 and 5 year average (Cal Fire jurisdiction) Timeframe Fires Acres January 1 through August 12, 2018 4,168 726,329 January 1 through December 31, 2017 7,117 505,956 5 Year Average (full year) 4,835 202,786 Source: CAL FIRE 5 Major Wildfires that have Impacted Valley Air Quality in 2018 Size Containment Name of Fire Date of Origin County (Acres) (%) Lions June 11, 2018 Madera 10,004 70 County June 30, 2018 Yolo 90,288 100 Ferguson July 13, 2018 Mariposa 96,810 87 Carr July 23, 2018 Shasta 211,038 67 Mendocino Complex July 27, 2018 Mendocino 363,845 64 Donnell August, 1, 2018 Tuolumne 29,756 26 Holy August 6, 2018 Orange 22,986 72 6 2018 Wildfire Season Air Quality Impacts • Prolonged periods of significant smoke impacts throughout entire Valley • Numerous exceedances of 35 µg/m3 standard caused by wildfires this summer season – Summer season PM2.5 often averages in single digits • 1-hr average PM2.5 concentrations exceeded 100 µg/m3 on Valley floor and 400 µg/m3 in Oakhurst • Ozone levels have also spiked during wildfire impact period – Through June 2018, ozone season was on track to break records – High ozone concentrations in July-August 2018 due to wildfire emissions • Despite wildfires, Valley still on track to demonstrating continued ozone improvement 7 PM2.5 Concentration (µg/m3) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 01-Jun 24 - 03-Jun hr 05-Jun StandardPM2.5 Federal 07-Jun 09-Jun 11-Jun Peak Valley 13-Jun 15-Jun 17-Jun 19-Jun 21-Jun 23-Jun 25-Jun County begins Fire 27-Jun 24 29-Jun - 01-Jul hour 03-Jul 05-Jul 07-Jul Ferguson begins Fire 09-Jul PM2.5 Levels 11-Jul Mendocino Complex 13-Jul 15-Jul 17-Jul Carr 19-Jul begins Fire 21-Jul Fire begins 23-Jul Donnell begins Fire 25-Jul 27-Jul 29-Jul 31-Jul Holy Fire begins 02-Aug 04-Aug 06-Aug 08-Aug 10-Aug 8 12-Aug Hourly Average PM2.5 in Visalia (August 6, 2018) 140 120 ) 3 100 80 60 40 PM2.5 Concentration (µg/m PM2.5 Concentration 20 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour 9 Hourly Average PM2.5 in Fresno (August 6, 2018) 140 120 ) 3 100 80 60 40 PM2.5 Concentration (µg/m PM2.5 Concentration 20 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour 10 Hourly Average PM2.5 in Turlock (August 7, 2018) 140 120 ) 3 100 80 60 40 PM2.5 Concentration (µg/m PM2.5 Concentration 20 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour 11 Hourly Average PM2.5 in Oakhurst (August 4, 2018) 450 400 ) 3 350 300 250 200 150 100 PM2.5 Concentration (µg/m PM2.5 Concentration 50 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour 12 County Fire (Yolo County) 13 Ferguson Fire (Mariposa County) 14 Ferguson Fire (Mariposa County) 15 Ferguson Fire (Mariposa County) 16 Ferguson Fire (Mariposa County) 17 Ferguson Fire (Mariposa County) 18 Holy Fire (Orange County) 19 Carr Fire (Shasta County) 20 Carr Fire (Shasta County) 21 Carr Fire (Shasta County) 22 California Fires from International Space Station 23 Fires over Western U.S. – August 5, 2018 24 Fires over Western U.S. – August 6, 2018 25 July 27, 2018 Smoke impacting the Valley from the north (Carr Fire and Mendocino Complex) and from the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County 26 August 5, 2018 Smoke moving into the San Joaquin Valley from northern California fires 27 August 6, 2018 Video loop showing smoke impacts on the Valley 28 August 3-7, 2018 Multi-day view of smoke impacting the Valley 29 Protecting Public Health • Providing accurate and timely health-protective air quality information to the public during wildfires is a top priority for the District • Significant resources dedicated to public notification of air quality conditions and steps public can take to protect their health • Targeted public education and awareness efforts regarding wildfire air quality impacts over the past several weeks has focused on – Alerting public during periods of poor air quality – Educating public on District tools available to stay updated on current air quality – Communicating actions that individuals may take to protect their health – Increasing understanding of the devastating public health impact from wildfires and need for fuel removal through prescribed burning and other methods 30 Protecting Public Health (cont’d) • Working collaboratively with the public, media, land managers, schools, county public health officers, and other stakeholders to communicate latest wildfire air quality impacts and recommendations • Providing timely information to Valley residents to minimize wildfire smoke exposure – Health cautionary statements when air quality is impacted by wildfires – Continued contact with media outlets to promote air quality messages – Promote use of the Real-time Air Advisory Network (RAAN) to notify the public of poor air quality – Communicate general public and schools about actions to take when air quality is poor due to wildfires – Provide wildfire information website that serves as clearinghouse for updated fire and air quality information from various sources including land managers • Respond to public inquiries – 295 public calls and emails responded to by District staff since July 15th 31 Recent Media Coverage • The District manages a media contact list of over 200 local meteorologists, reporters, news directors and opinion editors • The District works to build strong relationships with Valley media to ensure that the District is the first call when air quality issues arise • Daily, communication with the media over the past several weeks during current wildfire episode • Strong coverage via Valley newspapers, TV and radio stations to communicate the daily air quality conditions and smoke impacts • Since July 15th, 2018 – Three press releases/health cautionary statements issued – 66 media interviews included a Q&A feature in Sunday’s Fresno Bee – 55 social media posts 32 Press Releases / Health Cautionary Statements • July 15, 2018 • July 25, 2018 • August 6, 2018 33 Recent News Articles “The district governing board has long advocated for resources and policy changes at the state and federal levels to enhance the management of our forests” – Samir Sheikh APCO/Executive Director in the Fresno Bee 34 Recent News Articles “We don’t create more pollution than other parts of the country, we actually create a lot less pollution. But because we have this topography and meteorology, we have less ability to clear the pollution out.” – California Today Section of the New York Times 35 Recent News Articles “These types of alerts have been popping up all over as satellite imagery shows smoke hovering across state. [District staff member] Melching said this is from winds changing trajectories in the morning and evening, spreading smoke throughout California and beyond. The San Joaquin air district recommends people stay updated on air conditions by using the Valley Air app or going to www.valleyair.org/wildfires.” – Bakersfield California 36 Recent News Articles “Health officials along with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District are monitoring the fires and air quality conditions and will alert residents if the situation worsens.”– Stockton Record 37 Recent Social Media Instagram 38 Recent Social Media (cont’d) Twitter Facebook 39 Real-time Air Advisory Network (RAAN) Provides general public with instant, real-time access to local air quality conditions 40 41 District Wildfire Resource Website 42 Enhanced Forest Management Efforts • District Governing Board has long-supported efforts to reduce the intensity and frequency of wildfires through prescribed burning, mechanical treatment and other measures to reduce fuel build-up –Working with land managers to pursue enhanced prescribed burning strategies –Working with state and federal legislators/policymakers to enhance policies and increase forest management resources –Promoting demonstration and deployment of new technologies 43.
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