Media Release

Record breach for Invercargill air quality

Air quality in Invercargill over the weekend reached a new high, which is a new low when it comes to meeting the government’s National Environmental Standard for Air Quality.

Saturday night’s exceedance was the highest recorded in Invercargill since 2012, and the 6th highest at the Pomona Street site since monitoring began there in 2008.

The standards allow for one exceedance per year of the pollutant PM10, which is set at an average daily limit of 50 micrograms/m3. The exceedanceon Saturday reached 103 micrograms/m3 and was the fourth exceedance of the week.

Environment Southland air quality scientist Owen West said Invercargill has had 9 breaches of the NES so far this winter. “The calm weather conditions would have had an impact in the weekend’s high recording of PM10 in Invercargill, but other factors like outdoor burning on the edge of the city could also play a part,” he said.

Brochures ‘Breathe Easy… Change is in the air’ have been delivered to homes in the Invercargill and Gore airsheds in June and outline the issues and options being grappled with in the review of the Regional Air Plan for Southland. These issues include home heating options, outdoor burning, agrichemical and fertiliser use.

For more information about air quality, air quality monitoring, airsheds and to view the Breathe Easy… Change is in the air brochures, please visitwww.BreatheEasySouthland.co.nz

ENDS

Environment Southland monitors air quality and reports on the results during winter. The built up urban areas of Invercargill City and the Gore township are gazetted airsheds because they regularly exceed the national standards during winter.

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