Two air monitoring sites in EPA's statewide network have been decommissioned this week, at Campbellfield and Newborough.
Both sites were installed as short term projects and have now completed their tasks, and each area is well served by neighbouring monitoring sites.
The Campbellfield site was installed for a 12 month survey of background levels of PM2.5 particulates. The survey went on to run for two years and found no PM2.5 levels above the national standard.
Monitoring sites at Alphington and Macleod are generally representative of air quality in the northern suburbs including Campbellfield.
The Newborough station was installed for a 12 month period as a trial after the Latrobe Valley Co-Design Panel considered either Moe or Newborough as the future location for a permanent air monitoring site to serve the immediate area.
Over two years of data have shown there is little difference between readings taken by the two sites and that the permanent site at Moe can serve the wider Moe/Newborough community.
The equipment from the two decommissioned locations will be used to replace older equipment at other sites in EPA's network.
The EPA AirWatch network has 26 sites across the state, including 6 in the Latrobe Valley, and is backed up by EPA's Regional Sensor Network to give members of the public access to as many as 90 fixed locations. EPA also has mobile Incident Air Monitoring units that respond to major fires and other incidents in Metro Melbourne and regional Victoria.
To see hourly air quality data from EPA air monitoring sites across Victoria, visit www.epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/airwatch
