Our ref: EN00170
Your ref: Mr S Abantu-Choudhury
Mr Abantu-Choudhury
Sent by e-mail to:
request-1139-
[email address]
08 August 2008
Dear Mr Abantu-Choudhury
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
We refer to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) and/or the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) received by
the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) on 14 July 2008 requesting the following
information:
I would like to have all the data for the air pollution monitor sited in
Leabank Square, Berkshire Road, Hackney Wick, E9 please.
The monitor is situated in our wharf bank car park of Leabank Square -
and is checked frequently by your staff.
I would like ALL the data - from the time that it was installed to present.
We confirm that we hold information of the description specified in your
request and have displayed the data in the attached graph.
Two types of dust monitoring are carried out – Sticky Pad Depositional Dust
and PM10. Dust and particulate matter is monitored at over 45 locations
around the site using a variety of techniques. These techniques complement
each other to provide a comprehensive dust monitoring strategy. For
example, one type provides real-time continuous monitoring which can be set
up to send automatic text alerts of elevated levels to the environment team, so
that that the relevant action can be taken. This is known as PM10 monitoring.
Another type measures dust over a week, but looks at the direction which the
dust is coming from. This provides information which, when used with wind
direction information, can be help determine the primary source of the dust.
This is known as Sticky Pad Depositional Dust monitoring and this is the type
of air quality monitor which is located at Leabank Square, as refer to in your
request.
There are over 40 Sticky Pad Depositional Dust monitoring locations across
the Olympic Park where sticky pads are secured and are left for 7 days to
gather information. During this period any dust in the air will adhere to the
pad. The sticky pad is removed and taken to a laboratory where the amount
of dust on the pad is measured using a light source and detector (a
reflectometer). The more dust on the pad, the less light is reflected back to
the detector.
The results are provided as % effective area coverage (EAC)/ day. This
percentage is then compared to the guidance thresholds which are produced
by the Environment Agency (
EA). The EA provide a lower and an upper
threshold, where the lower threshold acts as an early warning and mitigation
measures are reviewed. If the upper threshold is exceeded primarily due to
Olympic Park construction activities, this indicates that serious complaints
would be received and therefore the works are stopped until a full review of
working methodology is undertaken. These thresholds have been marked on
the attached graph.
There is a Sticky Pad Depositional Dust monitor at/or near Leabank Sqaure.
The graph of data collected from this site is attached. Where there the lower
threshold has been exceeded, information was collated on wind direction and
site activity to establish the source. If it was found to be that the site was the
probable source, dust mitigation measures were reviewed and improved. For
example, you will note that the lower threshold was exceeded towards the end
of April 2008. Following investigation and confirmation that the wind direction
was mostly from the site during the exposure period, a full review of dust
suppression activities in the north part of the site was undertaken. This
resulted in increased water bowsers on site, a change in the routes taken by
each water bowser and the application of a dust suppressant on exposed
areas. At the end of May, you will note that there were further excesses of the
lower threshold, however comparisons with other monitoring points and a
review of wind direction during the exposure period, indicated the Olympic
Park site was not the source of the dust causing this excesses.
We trust that this information satisfies your request for information. However,
if you are not satisfied with the response to your request and wish to make a
complaint, you should write to The Information Officer, Olympic Delivery
Authority, One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LN. Please state
detailed grounds for your complaint.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
Information Commissioner will not make a decision unless you have
exhausted the complaint procedure provided by the ODA. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Penelope Jarvis
Information Officer
Olympic Delivery Authority
