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Talk About Tulsa => Other Tulsa Discussion => Topic started by: RecycleMichael on July 27, 2008, 02:16:48 PM

Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: RecycleMichael on July 27, 2008, 02:16:48 PM
This is going to be a tough week for Tulsa and air quality. The wind just stopped.

Please don't buy any gas tomorrow morning. If you really need fuel for the car, buy it tonight. Try to avoid any extra driving tomorrow. Telecommute, carpool, ride the bus or just sleep in.

At minimum, bring your lunch or walk to a restaurant tomorrow. The lunch emissions are among the most likely to cause ozone.

Tulsa is desperately close to exceeding the limits on two of it's monitors. If we all don't step up tomorrow, we will go into non-compliance.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Wilbur on July 27, 2008, 04:40:28 PM
I'll drive (carpool).  Four-point harness and a signed waiver are the only requirements.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Double A on July 27, 2008, 06:25:23 PM
I am keeping my fingers crossed we can make it, but I can't help but recognize the fact it will probably take a minor miracle not to exceed. I'll do my best to do my part. Pray for rain.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: rwarn17588 on July 27, 2008, 06:26:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael

The lunch emissions are among the most likely to cause ozone.




Especially if you eat beans.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: waterboy on July 27, 2008, 10:18:57 PM
I'm walking to work. Its only a mile but it all counts.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Wrinkle on July 27, 2008, 11:15:03 PM
Maybe we could get Sunoco and Sinclair to alternate OAD's and cut production to half on those days.

...that should just about do it.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: patric on July 28, 2008, 11:59:58 AM
I wonder what impact large fires (like the burning chemical truck this morning) will have on our readings?
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Nik on July 28, 2008, 12:11:41 PM
I.....will be getting gas today. I have to. I might wait until the sun goes down but I can't wait much longer.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: RecycleMichael on July 28, 2008, 12:18:41 PM
It is too early to tell.

Right now the west monitor looks good. The highest one hour reading so far today is the south monitor in Glenpool.

Midtown is 36 parts per billion as I write this.
West is 37, north is 38, east is 43 and south is 44.

The readings start going up after lunch till sundown. The pre-lunch numbers might not even be in the equation. The official number is the highest eight hour period averaged out.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Double A on July 28, 2008, 04:51:42 PM
It's not looking good. The north readings(.086) look like they will cause us to exceed on the three year average and we haven't made it past the afternoon rush hour yet.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Hoss on July 28, 2008, 07:24:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Double A

It's not looking good. The north readings(.086) look like they will cause us to exceed on the three year average and we haven't made it past the afternoon rush hour yet.



Keep in mind the eight hour averages are used to base the three year average.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Double A on July 28, 2008, 07:35:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hoss

quote:
Originally posted by Double A

It's not looking good. The north readings(.086) look like they will cause us to exceed on the three year average and we haven't made it past the afternoon rush hour yet.



Keep in mind the eight hour averages are used to base the three year average.



That's right. My mistake, I am glad I was wrong about that. It looks like we made it through without  exceeding. It's kinda weird that the info for the north station has not been available since about 5 p.m., though.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Hoss on July 28, 2008, 08:35:45 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Double A

quote:
Originally posted by Hoss

quote:
Originally posted by Double A

It's not looking good. The north readings(.086) look like they will cause us to exceed on the three year average and we haven't made it past the afternoon rush hour yet.



Keep in mind the eight hour averages are used to base the three year average.



That's right. My mistake, I am glad I was wrong about that. It looks like we made it through without  exceeding. It's kinda weird that the info for the north station has not been available since about 5 p.m., though.



Yeah, I noticed it seemed about pegged since noon.  I'm guessing that might have to do with the prevailing southerly wind (or what we had of one today).  Plus, the elevation of the land in the north is a little higher than everywhere else, so the ozone settles a little denser than it would in a lower elevation area.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: RecycleMichael on July 28, 2008, 09:12:40 PM
The eight hour average got up to 64 parts per billion. We survived.

70 parts per billion today would have doomed us.

Thank you for all who did something today to help our air.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Double A on July 29, 2008, 12:09:55 AM
The fact is was a Monday probably helped, too. It seems like the traffic is heavier during the weekdays that are closer to the weekend. I was able to avoid driving till after it got dark.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: patric on July 29, 2008, 12:33:07 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael

The eight hour average got up to 64 parts per billion. We survived.


The Whirled said otherwise.

Strike two.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: Hoss on July 29, 2008, 01:18:38 PM
quote:
Originally posted by patric

quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael

The eight hour average got up to 64 parts per billion. We survived.


The Whirled said otherwise.

Strike two.



The World was wrong on this one.  I think they believe that the 1 hour standard is still being used.  Hell, even the ozonealert website said we were not in exceedence yesterday.
Title: Monday is an ozone alert day
Post by: RecycleMichael on July 29, 2008, 01:25:29 PM
It was all very odd.

The monitor for north Tulsa began to malfunction yesterday so the state DEQ brought out a new monitor yesterday around 3pm.

The old monitor read in the 70s (consistent with the other area monitors) and suddenly the new monitor had readings well over a hundred. That caused the north monitor to have levels twenty per cent higher than the others. The eight hour average turned out to be 79 and the other monitors were in the low sixties.

I will scream conspiracy or poor training if this reading makes us fail. Having a new monitor being brought out in the middle of the afternoon and being so different raises red flags to me.

Unfortunately, it probably won't matter because the weather forecast calls for lots of problem days in August. We are still in compliance. That makes the new average at two monitors 75 parts per billion. 76 part per billion is failure.

One part per billion. That is how close we are to failing. Please, everyone do their part.