AS Sillamäe Sadam and AS EcoPro signed an agreement with the purpose to establish an ambient air monitoring station at Sillamäe, on October 10th.
„Considering the Silport development and understandable interest of the town towards the air quality, the Port of Sillamäe has decided already in 2012 to build, in coming years, an air monitoring station“, said Margus Vähi, member of the Board of Silport, „now shall we put this plan, together with our partners, into action.“
Monitoring station will will survey ambient air in real-time, thus enabling to assess the impact of the Sillamäe industrial zone enterprises to the air quality in town.
The station will also collect meteorological data, which makes it possible to establish the wind direction and attribute the pollution also to sources out of the the town, if that would be the case.
Monitoring station will be erected on the border of Silport and town (Sõtke 1), and will measure following components:
- NMHC (heavier hydrocarbons);
- BTX (lighter hydrocarbons);
- Fine and ultrafine particles (PM10 and PM2,5);
- Ammonia;
- Meteo-data.
The planned station will assess air quality, using the methodology and criteria used in all European Union memberstates; it will be possible to inform of the air quality also the general public.
Establishment of the air monitoring station is supported by the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre; the station will start operating by summer 2014.