Spokane Clean Air maintains a network of stationary air quality monitoring sites located throughout Spokane County. Air quality monitors collect hourly concentrations of particulate matter and ground-level ozone.
The network of air quality monitoring stations enables us to notify the public when air quality is approaching unhealthful levels and to encourage clean air actions to help reduce air pollution. The data also helps demonstrate that Spokane County is in compliance with the federally-mandated, health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and particulate matter (PM).
There are two standards for PM, based on size of the particles. PM2.5 are particles 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller and tend to be from combustion sources (vehicle engines, outdoor burning, wood heating). PM10 are particles 10 microns in diameter and smaller. So, PM10 includes larger particles (mainly dust).
There are two ground-level ozone monitors operated by Ecology during ozone season, which is May through September. During these months, ozone readily forms due to hot and sunny conditions. During the other times of the year, ozone levels are so low that it is inefficient to operate sampling equipment.
Monitoring air quality is a key function of our agency, enabling us to:
- Report current air quality and provide a 2-day air quality forecast for our residents
- Issue temporary restrictions on wood heating and outdoor burning
- Help people use this information to make choices to protect their health
Air monitoring station locations: View the monitoring map and access data for each monitoring site.
- Airway Heights, measures PM2.5
- Augusta Avenue & Fiske Street, measures PM2.5 and PM10
- Broadway Avenue near University, measures PM2.5
- Colbert, measures PM2.5
- Greenbluff, Ecology operated site, measures ozone (O3) during ozone season (May-Sept)
- Monroe Street & Wellesley Avenue, Ecology-operated site, measures PM2.5
- Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, measures O3 (May-Sept) and PM10
