First Quarter Air Quality Monitoring Results in Heartland Region Remain Low-Risk to Health
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership (HAMP) has released its air quality monitoring results for the first quarter of 2025. From January through March, Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) ratings in the region remained consistently of low risk to human health, similar to previous years.
Only three one-hour exceedances of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were recorded, with no exceedances of any 24-hour objectives in the quarter.
Read more here.
25 Years of Grassroots Air Quality Monitoring in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership (HAMP) is proudly celebrating its 25th anniversary measuring and reporting on the air quality in and around Alberta’s Industrial Heartland to meet stakeholder and community needs.
“HAMP was formed in 2000 to respond to increasing public interest in air quality in a region with some of the most condensed industrial development in the province,” said Nadine Blaney, HAMP’s executive director. “Today our multi-stakeholder structure ensures every voice is heard, including a very strong public component of people living in the HAMP region.”
Read more here about how air monitoring changed in the Heartland with grassroots decision-making.
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership 2024 Annual Report to the Community Released
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership has released its 2024 Annual Report to the Community. The report highlights major improvements in air quality, a new identity for HAMP, expanded monitoring coverage, and several community engagement initiatives.
Read more about this report here.
25th Anniversary Reflections: Who is the Local Resident Honoured by the Keith Purves Portable Air Monitoring Station?
In celebration of our 25th anniversary as an Airshed, we reflect on the contributions of Fort Saskatchewan resident Keith Purves, for whom the Keith Purves Portable Air Monitoring Station is named. His dedication to clean air and community spirit earned him this special tribute, which recognizes his long-standing commitment to keeping our region’s air quality in check.
Keith became the Board Chair in 2000 and served in that role for 11 years and later as Vice Chair for another 9. For him, the most rewarding part of this role was seeing how people contributed their time and expertise, working together to tackle challenges.
Read more about this story and how local leadership is shaping air quality monitoring in Alberta here.
How to Use the Air Quality Health Index During Wildfire Season
2024 showed a notable decline in higher risk to health ratings from wildfire smoke in our region, but every year typically brings at least some poor air quality days as a result of smoke from wildfires. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of many gases and particles, but fine particulate matter poses the main health risk.
Wildfire smoke affects everyone differently. This is why the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is designed to help you decide whether you need to take measures, using your own situation and symptoms as a guide.
For more information about the AQHI scale and how you can determine your risk level, check here.
Reflecting on 25 Years of Air Quality Monitoring – By and For the Community
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership celebrates 25 years of providing trusted air quality data in Alberta’s Heartland this year. We started as a grassroots effort and grew to a multi-stakeholder regional monitoring network, with representation from industry, all levels of government, and the public. This collaboration enables us to accomplish goals that any one sector alone would have great difficulty doing.
We are passionate about providing air quality information to anyone who wants access to it, building up our education and outreach over the past 25 years through workshops, community events, a school program and social media presence.
Read more about the impact of community-led air monitoring here.