North Dakota Air Quality: Smoke Season Uncertain

North Dakotans have experienced intermittent wildfire smoke in recent years, with the rest of the summer's air quality remaining uncertain due to ongoing Canadian wildfires.

According to Ryan Mills, manager of the Ambient Air Monitoring Program, predicting the exact duration of smoke is difficult as it is dependent on weather fronts.

Wildfire smoke has become a regular occurrence in North Dakota, typically starting in late June or July and extending through August, though some years see activity from May to October.

This year, the state saw a brief smoke event in early July, followed by more significant smoke around July 15 due to fires near the Canada-Minnesota border. Other regions like Oregon, Washington, and parts of Canada have also experienced numerous fires.

The Division of Air Quality operates a network of air quality monitoring sites, primarily in the oil and gas-rich northwest region, with plans to add a new site in Petersburg to improve coverage in the northeastern part of the state.

Each full air monitoring site costs approximately half a million dollars, necessitating careful selection of locations. The Bismarck station is the only one mandated in the state, but North Dakota maintains a robust network relative to its size.

Data from these stations is shared with the AirNow website, which also includes non-regulatory monitoring systems for broader data availability. The division, with a small team of five for air monitoring, does not issue smoke alerts or forecasts, advising residents to rely on local media for such information.

Despite the smoke challenges, North Dakota generally boasts some of the nation's clearest air, with strict permitting processes for industries to control emissions and prevent air pollution.