Following the
2004 Priorities meeting, LCRC determined that
Missisquoi Bay
would be a high priority for research for the next several years - see PRIME
Continued Priorities from 1999
(1) Establish a long-term monitoring
site on the shore of Lake Champlain to directly measure atmospheric deposition
into the Lake.
RECOMMENDATION: Continued Priority (assumed)
(2) Conduct modeling which can
determine source-receptor relationships for the
STATUS: Ongoing (via NOAA and LCRC funding and
support in both VT and NY)
(3) Continue air monitoring through
AIRMON at Underhill, VT for wet and dry deposition
STATUS: Ongoing (via
NOAA/UVM/VMC funding and support)
RECOMMENDATION: Continued Priority
(4) Continue the weather station at
STATUS: Ongoing (via
NOAA/LCRC/UVM/VMC funding and support)
(5) Continue Hg program at
Underhill, VT and tributaries
STATUS: Ongoing and
expanded (via NOAA/LCRC/EPA/UVM/VMC funding and support)
RECOMMENDATION: Continued Priority
(6) Continue NADP and UV-B
monitoring programs at Underhill, VT
STATUS: Ongoing and
expanded (via USGS/USDA/UVM/VMC funding and support)
RECOMMENDATION: Continued Priority
Based on report to the NOAA-Air Resources Laboratory: “Atmospheric Deposition in the
*Mercury
deposition
*Major
ion deposition
*Air
toxics deposition
(1)
Develop a framework for coordination of
activities among participants in atmospheric research and monitoring, with
links to the user community in the basin and region
STATUS: *Mercury efforts supported by
NOAA/EPA/LCRC/UVM/VMC at Underhill, VT.
Need to continue coordination with Lake
Champlain- and tributary-based work
*Major
ion coordination needs resources
*Air
toxics coordination needs resources
(2) Continue
current long-term atmospheric and meteorological monitoring activities STATUS: Continued
Priority (see #3-#6 from 1999)
(3)
Upgrade and amend existing monitoring
activities to improve spatial, temporal and species characterizations to
support fate and transport model development and application STATUS: *Mercury
efforts supported by NOAA/EPA/LCRC/UVM/VMC at Underhill, VT.
Need to continue
coordination with Lake Champlain- and tributary-based work.
*Major
ion efforts need resources
*Air
toxics efforts need resources
(4)
Couple monitoring and modeling activities to
project annual deposition rates of measured pollutants for the watershed as a
whole
STATUS: *Mercury efforts supported by
NOAA/EPA/LCRC/UVM/VMC at Underhill, VT.
Need to continue coordination with Lake
Champlain- and tributary-based work.
*Major
ion efforts need resources
*Air
toxics efforts need resources
(5) Model fate and transport of measured pollutants and linkage of products to comprehensive basin wide research programs
STATUS: *Mercury efforts supported by
NOAA/EPA/LCRC/UVM/VMC at Underhill, VT.
Need to continue coordination with Lake
Champlain- and tributary-based work.
*Major
ion efforts need resources
*Air
toxics efforts need resources
(6) Develop outreach efforts to improve understanding by decision makers, the scientific community and the public of the value of atmospheric deposition research and monitoring activities, and their contribution to the protection of human and environmental health in the basin.
STATUS: *Mercury efforts supported by
NOAA/EPA/LCRC/UVM/VMC at Underhill, VT.
Need to coordinate with Lake Champlain- and
tributary-based mercury work.
*Major
ion efforts need resources
*Air toxics efforts need resources
TABLE I: SPECIFIC 2003 WORKSHOP RESEARCH
RECOMMENDATIONS AND 2004 STATUS FOR THREE MAJOR ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION
SUBTOPICS
(PMRC = Underhill, VT site)
|
MERCURY |
MAJOR IONS |
AIR TOXICS |
|
Complete
analysis of all stored samples from the PMRC site and publish the data as
soon as possible. Maintain
the long-term, event-based record of mercury concentration in precipitation
and routine measurement of total gas-phase mercury (TGM) in air at the PMRC
site near Underhill, VT. Continue
current source-receptor and basin-wide mercury mass balance modeling efforts
to further understanding of potential source areas and to develop an initial
characterization of mercury movement from the watershed into Lake Champlain. Characterize
the temporal and spatial deposition of mercury in its various forms within
the basin. Estimate net speciated
atmospheric mercury deposition for the entire basin using the PMRC
observations linked to appropriate fate and transport models. SEPTEMBER
2004 STATUS: All Underhill
(PMRC)-based long-term mercury monitoring and research efforts completed,
ongoing and/or expanded via funding and support from NOAA, EPA, LCRC, UVM,
and VMC. Lake-based and basin-wide
studies also supported by NOAA and others.
Need further coordination of both. |
Maintain
existing precipitation chemistry sampling programs at the PMRC. Establish
a routine dry-deposition measurements program in coordination with the EPA
CASTNET program. Continue
current source-receptor modeling efforts. Examine
improved species characterizations for both wet and dry deposition programs. Improve spatial and temporal characterizations of both wet and dry deposition. Present measurement programs at PMRC are insufficient to resolve many temporal and spatial resolution questions in the basin. Characterization of
temporal variability at the PMRC site Development of a regional
data set with observations from PMRC and nearby sites in Characterization of spatial
variability in deposition within and between selected landscapes across the
basin. Consideration of
development of a trace metal concentration measurement activity Develop
a plan to add the PMRC monitoring site to the existing EPA IMPROVE program. Integrate
atmospheric, hydrological and aquatic models to address deposition, fate and
transport of major ions across the entire basin. Consider
extending the analysis suite to include trace metals and VOC’s
to support a full range of air quality and ecosystem loading programs. SEPTEMBER
2004 STATUS: Maintenance of current
monitoring and modeling efforts continuing.
New work needs resources |
Identify
responsible agencies to examine existing persistent and bio-accumulative
toxics (PBT) chemical measurement strategies and adapt appropriate measures
for regional use. The strategies
adopted must be consistent within the existing Develop
a plan to add a SEPTEMBER 2004 STATUS: New work needs resources |