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To keep members of the Lower Manhattan community informed about the impact of construction and rebuilding work taking place throughout the area, several agencies have developed programs to monitor air quality at a range of downtown locations. Below please find descriptions of the various programs, as well as links to the air monitoring data and analysis they each collect.
LowerManhattan Construction Command Center Air Monitoring Program: Various Locations
The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) currently directs BEM Systems, Inc. (BEM) to operate and maintain an ambient air quality monitoring program (AQMP) in Lower Manhattan. The air quality monitoring program is one segment of the LMCCC’s overall environmental program, which is designed to minimize the environmental impacts associated with the redevelopment and reconstruction of Lower Manhattan. The AQMP is independent from monitoring conducted at the 130 Liberty Street (former Deutsche Bank Building) deconstruction site.
The LMCCC program monitors for construction-related particle matter only (PM 10 and PM 2.5). The data will assist the LMCCC in managing overall construction in Lower Manhattan and in determining whether construction-related activities are impacting air quality. For a full description of the monitoring program and the type of data it collects, please click here.
The LMCCC is conducting daily air monitoring at the following sites throughout Lower Manhattan:
- 292 Greenwich Street
- 80 Catherine Street
- 1 World Financial Center
- 154 Nassau Street
To view the actual data collected at all four sites, use the tabs below. Please note: You can select from the ten most recent reports or enter a specific range of dates to have the data for that period pulled.
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Air Monitoring: 130 Liberty Street
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) took ownership of the building known as the Deutsche Bank at 130 Liberty Street on August 31, 2004. Since then, the LMDC has worked with an independent licensed air testing company, TRC, to conduct air sampling. The efforts of the LMDC and TRC expand upon the air monitoring program used by the previous building owner.
The air monitoring program is designed to supervise air quality in the vicinity of 130 Liberty Street during the deconstruction of the building. Currently, the program includes hourly air sampling conducted seven days a week at 12 locations -- four on the ground, four on the building, and four on surrounding buildings. For a list of locations, click here. Air sampling and analysis is conducted daily for the following materials: PM 10, PM 2.5, asbestos, crystalline silica, dioxins/furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and various metals. To view the most recent air monitoring data for each material, please click here.
Results are reviewed by the independent licensed air testing company, and the asbestos TEM air sampling results also are sent regularly to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) and other regulatory agencies for their review. If there are any concerns with the recorded levels, the regulatory agencies and LMDC will take appropriate actions. For details on levels that may trigger action, click here.
On November 7th, the environmental consultant for the 130 Liberty Street Deconstruction Project received lab results indicating that the air monitor located on the roof of the 1010 Firehouse recorded a level of silica that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trigger Level. The elevated levels were detected on November 1st and 2nd.
After consulting with the Environmental Protection Agency, it was determined that the increased silica level was not attributable to the work at 130 Liberty Street. As a result, work on the project is continuing.
Environmental Protection Agency Air Monitoring: Greenwich and Thames Streets
As part of an ongoing program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with other regulatory agencies, is reviewing air quality sampling results collected by owners of buildings in various locations in the neighborhood south of the World Trade Center (WTC). Two of those locations are 133-135 Greenwich Street and 21-23 Thames Street, where existing buildings (two and five stories tall, respectively) are being abated, decontaminated, demolished, and replaced.
The EPA’s air-monitoring reports provide each monitor’s daily collection data and detailed sampling results. To view the most recent reports, click here.
For additional information on air monitoring at these locations, please visit the EPA’s website.
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