Banning-Allesandro Air Monitoring Station, Banning, California | USA Environmental Monitoring

Banning-Allesandro is an air monitoring station located at 135 N. Allesandro in Banning, California, within Riverside County. It is part of the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) network, which focuses on measuring ozone precursors and other pollutants to understand photochemical smog formation. The station is operated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the regulatory agency responsible for air quality in the South Coast Air Basin. As a PAMS site, Banning-Allesandro is equipped to measure a range of criteria pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds, as well as meteorological parameters. The station's siting is representative of urban and suburban exposure, providing data that supports compliance with the US EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The PAMS network is a key component of the EPA's Air Quality System (AQS), ensuring consistent and comparable data across the country. The data collected at Banning-Allesandro contributes to the understanding of air pollution trends in the inland region of Southern California, an area known for high ozone levels due to its geography and vehicle emissions. This monitoring supports public health advisories and regulatory actions aimed at reducing smog and improving air quality for the surrounding communities.

Banning is located in the San Gorgonio Pass, a corridor that channels pollutants from the Los Angeles basin inland, contributing to elevated ozone levels. The station's placement in a mixed residential and agricultural area provides representative data for population exposure. As part of the PAMS network, it measures speciated volatile organic compounds and carbonyls, which are critical for understanding ozone formation chemistry. The data supports the SCAQMD's efforts to meet EPA ozone standards and protect public health in a region with historically poor air quality.