Birney - Tongue River Air Monitoring Station, Rosebud County, Montana

Birney - Tongue river is an air monitoring station located in Rosebud County, Montana, approximately 3 miles north of Birney along SR 566. The station is part of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Air Quality Division network, which monitors ambient air quality across the state. As a rural monitoring site, it provides data on background air quality in the region. The station operates under the U.S. EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) framework, which sets standards for criteria pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide. While specific parameters measured at this site are not detailed, rural stations typically monitor ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to assess regional air quality and transport. The station's last reported sample date is November 2, 2021, indicating ongoing operations. Environmental monitoring in this area is important due to the region's energy development, including coal mining and power generation in the Powder River Basin. The station helps track potential impacts on air quality in a sparsely populated area, contributing to the state's air quality management and compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The Tongue River area in southeastern Montana is characterized by semi-arid climate and coal-bearing geological formations. Air monitoring in this rural setting is critical for assessing background ozone and particulate levels, especially given nearby coal mining and power plant activities. The station's data supports the EPA's regulatory framework for criteria pollutants and helps distinguish local emissions from regional transport.