In December of last year the first major reorganization of Iowa DNR in fifteen years was announced. The new plan eliminated nine high level jobs for an annual savings of $500,000 in salaries. The plan also called for decentralization and increased customer service. All environmental functions were placed in the Environmental Protection Division under five bureaus – Water, Air, Geological Survey and Land, Field Services and Compliance, and Energy and Waste Management.

With the reorganization has come a passing of the guard. The Iowa Department of Environmental Quality was formed in 1972, and many of the senior staff that took retirement this last year had been with the department for 30 years or longer. Their expertise and dedication will be missed.

The new division administrator and bureau chiefs have been announced and represent a seasoned and experienced group. They have much environmental experience inside and outside of the Department. I look forward to working with them in the future.

In an effort to increase customer service, the department intends to move over 100 environmental jobs to the field offices. The director wanted to put more staff in direct contact with Iowans and environmental problems. This initiative appears to be moving slowly for a number of reasons. The department is reluctant to move existing employees to the field office because of relocation expenses and relocation hardships. Relatively inexperienced new hires will be placed in the field offices as vacancies occur. This is reminiscent of the influx of inexperienced staff when the Iowa Department of Environmental Quality was launched in 1972.

- Morris L. Preston, P.E. QEP

2001 QUAD CITY AREA ANNUAL AIR QUALITY

Preston Engineering, Inc. has compiled the 2001 Quad City Area Annual Air Quality Report. Data available from the eight operating monitors were compared to standards, known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Pollutants that are currently monitored in the area are ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The air quality in the area is good, and the area has been and continues to be in attainment.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources periodically issues news releases on air quality in the Quad City Area when the Air Quality Indexes have been exceeded. In 2001, there were no unhealthy ozone levels detected in the area, but particulate matter caused several days of unhealthy air for individuals with breathing difficulties. The vast majority of days in the area fall into the good to moderate categories. Additional details on the alert warnings and monitor locations can be retrieved on IDNR’s Air Quality Bureau web site at:

In 2000, minor industrial sources in Eastern Iowa were asked to complete emission inventory questionnaires (EIQ) as part of a statewide air quality survey by IDNR. Results from the QCA data showed that the largest contributor of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide compounds was from transportation which is not regulated. Point or industrial sources, which are regulated, emitted less than 20% of the total volatile organic compound emissions.

The IDNR, in conjunction with the USEPA, conducted a special air toxics monitoring study in Davenport and four other Iowa metropolitan areas in 2001. The USEPA funds these special studies to identify potential air quality concerns. The study indicated that acetaldehyde, benzene, and formaldehyde levels were above the USEPA’s one per million cancer risk benchmark. The levels found in Davenport were similar to levels found in other Iowa cities. Benzene levels are generally attributed to evaporation of gasoline or incomplete combustion of gasoline. The other compounds are typically associated with combustion of various fuels.

These results will be considered by the USEPA in establishing future regulations for emission controls on internal combustion engines, formulation of gasoline, and distribution of gasoline.

For additional information about the QCA Air Quality Report, contact Jerry Tonneson at (563) 388-8288.