The air monitoring component of the WBEA is the cornerstone of the organization and is directed by the Ambient Air Technical Committee.

• The WBEA air quality monitoring program operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides scientifically credible data, focusing on air quality with respect to human and ecosystem health.
• The WBEA operates a network of fourteen air monitoring stations in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Each station costs approximately $250K.
• Two stations in Fort McMurray, one in Fort Chipewyan, six around the Syncrude/Suncor corridor, one at Albian Sands site, one in the community of Fort McKay, two around Fort McKay and one in the community of Anzac.
• The WBEA Terrestrial Environmental Effects Program (TEEM) operates ten passive monitoring sites to measure concentrations of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone at remote forest locations.
• There are four passive monitoring sites surrounding the Petro-Canada MacKay River Project that monitor concentrations of sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.
• We have rigorous quality control and assurance programs in place to ensure the highest quality data is collected. These include daily calibration and monitoring of instrument performance with multi-point calibrations and regular government audits. Data is reviewed for long-term systematic errors and all raw and quality controlled data is archived for future reference. WBEA information contributes to the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA), province-wide integrated data management system.
• If there is an exceedance, our network records it and issues a Ground Level Concentration (GLC) Exceedance Notification: Alberta Environment and industry, including various WBEA members are immediately informed. The GLCs are reviewed by industry members to determine if plant operations or events may have contributed to the exceedance.

How do we compare to other Alberta Airsheds?

Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (www.wbea.org) covers approximately 70,000 square kilometres including Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Anzac and oil sands developers. WBEA's monitoring network comprises 14 continuous and 13 passive stations.

Fort airshed (www.fortair.org) covers 4500 square kilometres in the Elk Island Park, Fort Saskatchewan and Thorhild regions. It operates 8 continuous monitoring stations.

Parkland airshed (www.pamz.org) has a coverage of 45,000 square kilometres that takes in west central Alberta including Red Deer. It works with 2 continuous stations and 34 passive monitors.

Palliser airshed (www.palliserairshed.ca) completed its first year operating in 2004 with 1 continuous air monitoring station and 6 passive stations. The airshed boundaries include the City of Medicine Hat and the Town of Redcliff (150 square kilometres).

Peace Management Zone airshed (www.pasza.ca) began the continuous portion of its regional air monitoring program with 1 continuous station and 43 passive stations. It monitors an area of 46,450 square kilometres that includes Peace River, Grand Prairie, and High Prairie.

West Central airshed (www.wcas.ca) covers 46,000 square kilometres that takes in Mid-Alberta bordering B.C. with 12 continuous stations at Tomahawk, Carrot Creek, High Tower, Hinton, Breton, Violet Grove, Meadows, Power, Genesee, Edson, Drayton Valley and Wagner plus a passive network of 16 stations.