Highest 8-Hour Average Concentration of Carbon Monoxide
This indicator addresses the highest carbon monoxide concentrations averaged over every eight hours for the calendar year. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a tasteless, odorless, and colorless gas. It is a public health concern because elevated concentrations affect human and animal health by reducing the supply of oxygen to body tissues. The primary anthropogenic sources of CO in the Tahoe Region are on-road motor vehicles, residential wood burning, motorized watercraft, and off-highway vehicles. Wildfires are a natural source of CO. Policy and management actions implemented through the Regional Plan to control CO emissions focus on reducing private automobile use through improvements to public transportation and bike/pedestrian trail infrastructure. Vehicle emission standards enacted by state and federal governments also reduce CO emissions in the Region, mainly by requiring improvements in engine and exhaust technologies. Several sites have monitored CO through the years, and TRPA currently monitors CO at the Stateline, Nevada location.
Status
Highest annual maximum 8-hour concentration of carbon monoxide in the Tahoe Basin from 1980 to present.
Evaluation Map
A map displaying current air quality monitoring stations within the Tahoe Basin. Carbon monoxide is monitored at the Stateline, Nevada station.
2019 Evaluation
- Status
- Considerably Better Than Target
- Trend
- Moderate Improvement
- Confidence
- High
Applicable Standard
AQ1: Maintain carbon monoxide concentrations at or below 6 parts per million (7 mg/m3) averaged over 8 hours.
Key Points
- Peak carbon monoxide levels decreased substantially in South Lake Tahoe since the 1980's mostly due to cleaner car engines.
- Carbon monoxide levels have dropped to levels where the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection consider the Tahoe Basin to be in attainment; therefore, they no longer actively monitor carbon monoxide.
- TRPA added a carbon monoxide monitor in 2012 and has found levels to be consistently far below acceptable levels.
Delivering and Measuring Success
EIP Action Priorities
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Build and Enhance Trail Networks
Bicycling, walking, and other forms of active transportation are important methods of travel that promote healthy lifestyles, improve air quality, boost the local economy, and enhance community.
EIP Indicators
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Miles of Pedestrian and Bicycle Routes Improved or Constructed
Since 1997 EIP partners have collectively constructed or improved 193 miles of pedestrian and bicycle routes reducing the number of vehicle trips.
Example EIP Projects
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El Dorado Beach to Ski Run Boulevard Bike Trail
This project completed in 2017 provided a critical 0.75 mile missing link trail within the City of South Lake Tahoe's bike trail network.
Local and Regional Plans
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Tahoe-Truckee Plug-in Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan
This plan focuses on infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles within the Tahoe-Truckee Region because they play a critical role in reducing the GHG emissions of vehicles.
Monitoring Programs