Establishment of air quality monitoring station in Capiz mulled

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The provincial government is mulling to establish an air quality monitoring station in the province of Capiz.

To realize the proposed project, the Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (CAPENRO) recently called for a meeting with private establishments in the province to discuss this program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR).

The DENR continues to strengthen its air quality monitoring system to ensure that the environment and public health are protected from the dangers of air pollution.

Dubbed “Adopt An Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station,” it aims to monitor the air quality in the province.

The program is connected to the air quality network operating center (AQNOC).

Governor Fredenil “Oto” Castro believes in the necessity of having a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station in the province with an estimated cost of P8,100,000.

It was discussed during the meeting that each business establishment, private or public, should contribute to the implementation of the said project.

The committee is planning to hold another meeting with the heads and managers of the business establishments to formalize how much their contribution would be.

It was learned that the prime objective of the said project is to give a solution to the Ambient Air Quality Status and Policy Guidance of Air Quality Management.

It is also a corporate social responsibility of each industry that has an air pollution source installation.

Reports indicated that the EMB has a total of 75 air quality monitoring stations that are strategically located in 16 regions nationwide, 34 of those are capable of continuous online monitoring, while 41 are using manual method of sampling.

These stations are capable of measuring air pollutants, particularly PM10 or particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter and PM2.5, whose diameter is 2.5 micrometers or less.

Fifteen of these in eight regions are also capable of measuring gaseous air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide.

In 2003, the DENR issued an administrative order requiring all industrial facilities with potential to emit air pollution to conduct and submit ambient air quality self-monitoring to EMB.

This year, the EMB is scheduled to formulate the standards for hazardous ambient air quality.