W.A.T.E.R. has recently installed a set of air pollution monitors at various locations in the vicinity of the Crystal Geyser at north side of Mt. Shasta City. These devices use a new generation of laser particle counters that provide an accurate way to measure smoke, dust, diesel exhaust and other particulate air pollution. These monitors report continuous measurements of air particles between 0.3μm and 10μm diameter.

The need for this monitoring is clear. The EIR sponsored by the County for the plant officially was instigated by the claimed need for a "caretaker's residence" located on CG property near its heavy diesel truck loading dock. Even that EIR, woefully deficient in most respects, declared the caretaker's residence would be unlivable due to diesel fumes.  At 100 truck trips per day pulling in and out as well as idling there, the pollution will likely be equivalent to a bus station in a large city or a freeway truck stop.  

Combined with frequent temperature inversions in this area that trap airborne pollutants, the CG plant may be a major source of local unhealthy (and odoriferous) levels of air pollution.  The EIR itself proposes no mitigation or even monitoring if this project were to start (similar to its lack of serious analysis and mitigations for other glaring problems such as groundwater water depletion, noise, sewer disposal, etc.). The County Air Pollution Control District Board (despite being a legally responsible agency) has likewise failed to do any study or issue any report on the air pollution matter.  

For these reasons, W.A.T.E.R. is establishing a data "baseline" now and (if CG actually opens) a continuous quantitative record of the pollution levels, for public information and possible protest and legal action.  W.A.T.E.R. has enlisted the help of Ph.D. physicists and biochemists with experience in both meteorology and toxic environmental contaminants to oversee the gathering and scientific analysis of the data. For more information and to see real time map data of local particulate pollution see HERE.