Air Quality in TD not so good. AQI Monitor clogged with Pollutants

Photo of an Air Quality Monitoring Station.

Courtesy Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

The smoke is so bad? How bad is it?

It’s so bad that it broke the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s  Air Quality Monitoring Station on Cherry Heights in The Dalles. 

DEQ’s Laura Gleim

That is why locals are unable to get an Air Quality Reading for The Dalles via their website.

“Unfortunately the monitor in The Dalles is temporarily down,” said DEQ’s Laura Gleim from Bend on Wednesday, Sept. 16. “It needs to be cleaned out as it gets full of pollutants.”

With the Air Quality Index running in the high 400s over the weekend and still likely running in the 188 plus range, or unhealthy rating.

“There has been a lot of particulate matter the last few days,” she said. “We have had issues monitoring around the state with the level of smoke, power outages and some sites threatened by fire.”

“The good news is that we have an advisory through Saturday morning. We should start to see some clearing out on Saturday and through the weekend. At least we have something to look forward too.” 

In the meantime, Gleim said locals can look to Pendleton and Portland monitoring sites to get a sense of the air quality. There is also a site in White Salmon, according to the map at oregonsmoke.blogspot.com

Gleim also said people should be aware that cloth and paper masks used to prevent COVID-19 spread do not protect people from harmful smoke. She said the Kn95 mask, if worn properly, will. 

Asked if breathing air with an air quality index of 400 or more  was like smoking 15 cigarettes, Gleim laughed. “I am unable to confirm that analogy,” she said.