Simmons Park Air Monitoring Station, Ruskin, Florida | United States

Simmons Park is an air monitoring station located at 2401 19th Avenue Northwest in Ruskin, Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The facility is operational and serves as a fixed-site ambient air quality monitoring station within the broader US EPA Air Quality System (AQS) network. As part of Florida's air monitoring infrastructure, it supports the assessment of criteria pollutants and other atmospheric parameters. The station operates under the regulatory framework of the Clean Air Act and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Typical air monitoring stations in Florida measure pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead. The station may also collect meteorological data to support air quality modeling and trend analysis. The US EPA AQS network ensures standardized data collection and reporting across the country. Simmons Park's location in Ruskin, near Tampa Bay, places it in a region with diverse emission sources including transportation, industrial activities, and power generation. Continuous monitoring at this station helps track compliance with NAAQS and provides data for public health advisories. The station's role is vital for understanding local air quality patterns and supporting environmental management decisions in the Tampa Bay area.

The Tampa Bay region, including Ruskin, experiences a humid subtropical climate with high ozone potential during summer months. Air monitoring stations like Simmons Park are critical for tracking criteria pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter, which are influenced by local traffic, industrial emissions, and meteorological conditions. The station's siting is representative of suburban residential areas, providing data on population exposure. Reporting continuity through the EPA AQS network ensures long-term trend analysis for regulatory compliance and public health protection.