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File: 950901_96650058.txtAIR QUALITY IN DHAHRAN 1. THE ARABIAN SUN, SAUDI ARAMCO'S WEEKLY IN-HOUSE NEWSPAPER, RAN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON AIR QUALITY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE EASTERN PROVINCE IN ITS FEBRUARY 27, 1991 EDITION, HEADLINED "NO EFFECT ON AIR QUALITY FROM OIL FIRES IN KUWAIT." BEGIN TEXT OIL WELL FIRES IN KUWAIT MAY HAVE DARKENED THE SKIES, BUT THEY HAVE HAD LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON AIR QUALITY IN THE LARGER SAUDI ARAMCO COMMUNITIES, ACCORDING TO COMPANY ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS. DATA FROM THE AIR QUALITY MONITORING/METEOROLOGICAL NETWORK (AMMNET) STATIONS IN ABQAIQ, DHAHRAN AND RAS TANURA SHOWS LEVELS OF SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROGEN OXIDES AND OZONE ARE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED DESPITE HUNDREDS OF OIL WELL FIRES IN KUWAIT. AS USUAL, THE EXPERTS SAY, AIR POLLUTION READINGS AT THE THREE COMMUNITIES ARE MUCH LOWER THAN LEVELS ALLOWED UNDER THE METEOROLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION (MEPA) STANDARDS. ABDULMUHSEN AL-SUNAID, AN AIR QUALITY ENGINEER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DIVISION OF THE PROCESS & CONTROL SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT, SAYS HE RECEIVED MANY CALLS STARTING LAST SATURDAY WHEN A SMOKY HAZE DARKENED THE NORTHERN SKIES. THE HAZE WAS CAUSED BY SOOT WHICH THE WIND HAD LIFTED HIGH IN THE AIR, HE SAID. THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE AIR WE BREATHE, AL-SUNAID SAID. RAIN CLOUDS UP NORTH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DARK LOOK OF THE SKY, HE ADDED. AL-SUNAID AND PAT WOODS, AN INSTRUMENT ENGINEER IN CHARG OF DAY-TO-DAY AMMNET ACTIVITIES, SAID THE MEAN HOURLY SULFUR DIOXIDE READING AT DHAHRAN AND RAS TANURA ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WAS ABOUT 0.01 PARTS PER MILLION (PPMM) OR 96 PERCENT BELOW THE MEPA STANDARD OF 0.28 PPM. THE NITROGEN OXIDES HOURLY MEAN WAS ABOUT 0.03 PPM, 90 PERCENT LESS THAN THE MEPA STANDARD AND THE OZONE READING WAS ALSO 0.03 PPM OR 80 PERCENT LESS THAN THE STANDARD. THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HOURLY MEAN FOR NITROGEN OXIDES IS 0.35 PPM AND 0.15 PPM FOR OZONE. WOODS SAID THE MEAN READINGS AT ABQAIQ WERE 0.008 FOR SULFUR DIOXIDE AND 0.01 FOR NITROGEN OXIDES. THERE WAS NO OZONE READING FOR ABQAIQ. END TEXT. 2. AS NOTED IN PREVIOUS REPORTING, DHAHRAN HAS EXPERIENCED HEAVY OIL-SMOKE OVERCASTS, PALE DAWNS AND SPECTACULAR SUNSETS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. FEBRUARY 27 BROUGHT A CLEAR BLUE SKY AT SUNRISE DUE TO SHIFTING WINDS, FOLLOWED BY SHOWERS. 3. WE WILL MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH ARAMCO AND LOCAL SAUDI OFFICIALS TO MONITOR AIR QUALITY. STAMMERMAN ADMIN BT #0436 INFODATE: 0 Filename:96650058 PATHFINDER RECORD NUMBER: 50058 GENDATE: 950629 NNNN TEXT: ENVELOPE CDSN = LGX456 MCN = 91058/14662 TOR = 910581249 OTTUZYUW RUEKJCS0436 0581247-UUUU--RUEALGX. ZNR UUUUU HEADER O 271247Z FEB 91 FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC INFO RUEADWD/OCSA WASHINGTON DC RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC RUEADWD/PTC WASH DC RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE RUEKCCG/USDP-CCC WASHINGTON DC RUEOFAA/COMJSOC FT BRAGG NC//J2// RUEORDF/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//IS// RUCQVAB/USCINCSOC INTEL OPS CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUCJACC/USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL //CARA// RUWSMXI/MAC INTEL CEN SCOTT AFB IL//IN// RUEOACC/CDRPSYOP GP FT BRAGG NC//ASOF-POG-SB// RHCGSRB/COMUSARCENT FT MCPHERSON GA//AFRD-DSO// RUEALGX/SAFE O 271235Z FEB 91 FM AMCONSUL DHAHRAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0743 INFO RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 1479 RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 6123 BT CONTROLS UNCLAS DHAHRAN 00436 E.O. 12356: N/A BODY TAGS: SENV, EPET, SA SUBJECT: AIR QUALITY IN DHAHRAN 1. THE ARABIAN SUN, SAUDI ARAMCO'S WEEKLY IN-HOUSE NEWSPAPER, RAN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ON AIR QUALITY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE EASTERN PROVINCE IN ITS FEBRUARY 27, 1991 EDITION, HEADLINED "NO EFFECT ON AIR QUALITY FROM OIL FIRES IN KUWAIT." BEGIN TEXT OIL WELL FIRES IN KUWAIT MAY HAVE DARKENED THE SKIES, BUT THEY HAVE HAD LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON AIR QUALITY IN THE LARGER SAUDI ARAMCO COMMUNITIES, ACCORDING TO COMPANY ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS. DATA FROM THE AIR QUALITY MONITORING/METEOROLOGICAL NETWORK (AMMNET) STATIONS IN ABQAIQ, DHAHRAN AND RAS TANURA SHOWS LEVELS OF SULFUR DIOXIDE, NITROGEN OXIDES AND OZONE ARE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED DESPITE HUNDREDS OF OIL WELL FIRES IN KUWAIT. AS USUAL, THE EXPERTS SAY, AIR POLLUTION READINGS AT THE THREE COMMUNITIES ARE MUCH LOWER THAN LEVELS ALLOWED UNDER THE METEOROLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION (MEPA) STANDARDS. ABDULMUHSEN AL-SUNAID, AN AIR QUALITY ENGINEER IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DIVISION OF THE PROCESS & CONTROL SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT, SAYS HE RECEIVED MANY CALLS STARTING LAST SATURDAY WHEN A SMOKY HAZE DARKENED THE NORTHERN SKIES. THE HAZE WAS CAUSED BY SOOT WHICH THE WIND HAD LIFTED HIGH IN THE AIR, HE SAID. THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE AIR WE BREATHE, AL-SUNAID SAID. RAIN CLOUDS UP NORTH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DARK LOOK OF THE SKY, HE ADDED. AL-SUNAID AND PAT WOODS, AN INSTRUMENT ENGINEER IN CHARG OF DAY-TO-DAY AMMNET ACTIVITIES, SAID THE MEAN HOURLY SULFUR DIOXIDE READING AT DHAHRAN AND RAS TANURA ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WAS ABOUT 0.01 PARTS PER MILLION (PPMM) OR 96 PERCENT BELOW THE MEPA STANDARD OF 0.28 PPM. THE NITROGEN OXIDES HOURLY MEAN WAS ABOUT 0.03 PPM, 90 PERCENT LESS THAN THE MEPA STANDARD AND THE OZONE READING WAS ALSO 0.03 PPM OR 80 PERCENT LESS THAN THE STANDARD. THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE HOURLY MEAN FOR NITROGEN OXIDES IS 0.35 PPM AND 0.15 PPM FOR OZONE. WOODS SAID THE MEAN READINGS AT ABQAIQ WERE 0.008 FOR SULFUR DIOXIDE AND 0.01 FOR NITROGEN OXIDES. THERE WAS NO OZONE READING FOR ABQAIQ. END TEXT. 2. AS NOTED IN PREVIOUS REPORTING, DHAHRAN HAS EXPERIENCED HEAVY OIL-SMOKE OVERCASTS, PALE DAWNS AND SPECTACULAR SUNSETS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. FEBRUARY 27 BROUGHT A CLEAR BLUE SKY AT SUNRISE DUE TO SHIFTING WINDS, FOLLOWED BY SHOWERS. 3. WE WILL MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH ARAMCO AND LOCAL SAUDI OFFICIALS TO MONITOR AIR QUALITY. STAMMERMAN ADMIN BT #0436 INFODATE: 0
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