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.”
25 Years of Achievements:
HAMP began with taking over a collection of fence-line stations previously operated by individual industries and worked to build a regionally-focused monitoring network that would help residents, industry and government evaluate the cumulative impact of emission sources on air quality.
A regional focus led to:
- The addition of four 24/7 continuous monitoring stations sited in Bruderheim, Gibbons, Redwater and Lamont to capture comprehensive air quality data in these communities.
- The addition of a portable air monitoring station that travels throughout smaller communities and other areas that aren’t served by continuous monitoring stations.
- Special projects initiated as required to provide more in-depth air quality information or to compare current equipment with emerging technologies.
- A strong education focus on making air quality data available to anyone who wants to understand what the air quality is like – such as loaning micro-sensors to schools and community centres so they can measure fine particulate matter levels (a key component of wildfire smoke) in their area.
The Alberta Airshed Model:
HAMP’s Airshed model – along with Alberta’s nine other Airsheds – is unique in Canada for having an approach that involves local industry, all levels of government, local municipalities and members of the public working together through consensus to make air quality monitoring decisions as equal partners.
The availability of comprehensive, science-based data allows residents to better understand what affects the quality of the air they breathe and how it compares to other regions. It forms the basis of environmental impact assessments required of industry and helps ensure regulatory standards are met. HAMP data is also used by governments to assess exposure effects on health and the environment and make management decisions accordingly.
About Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership:
Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership monitors the air quality of a 4,500 square kilometre region northeast of Edmonton that includes Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. Continuous data is collected 24 hours a day, seven days a week and generated through a live data feed accessible to anyone who visits www.heartlandairmonitoring.org. HAMP’s data collection and reporting is guided by a scientific advisory group and driven by national and provincial standards.
