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Behind the readings: How North Dakota monitors air pollution.Behind the readings: How North Dakota monitors air pollution BISMARCK, N.D.(KFYR) - North Dakota’s air quality can be confusing.A recent report gave parts of the state a poor grade, even as state officials say North Dakota is clean most days.So what does the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality do to help?If you have ever checked AirNow for current air quality, the numbers you see come from state monitoring equipment.The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality operates an ambient air monitoring network across the state.Ryan Mills, the ambient air monitoring manager for NDDEQ, explains.“We have nine sites across the state, soon to be 10.We collect hourly ambient air monitoring data for all criteria pollutants on a hourly basis.The data is then reported every hour to the Air Now site,” said Mills.Mills said that information is also used for federal compliance.“After a quality assurance process, that data is then also reported to EPA’s AQS database to prove either compliance or noncompliance,” said Mills.Data needs to be reviewed in case of errors, maintenance, or extraordinary events (like wildfires) that negatively impact air quality.Division Director Jim Semerad said the Division of Air Quality’s day-to-day work is regulatory and tied to the Clean Air Act, with a focus on industry.“The primary purpose of our program is to monitor our quality, but more from a regulatory perspective of the Clean Air Act, where we’re monitoring industrial pollution,” said Semerad.Semerad said North Dakota’s air is very good outside of events like wildfire smoke.He also credited industry pollution controls and state monitoring efforts, particularly during the growth of oil development in western North Dakota.“I’m really proud of our efforts.It might have been the case without our work and without the pollution control that industry has installed and continues to maintain,” said Semerad.“When the Bakken first started growing, we added additional monitors in the Bakken to make sure that we didn’t lose that clean air status.And through some extensive work on our part, extensive work on industry part to control those emissions, the success has been very gratifying.” Semerad said the state’s monitors help verify the regulatory system is working.He said permits and inspections are one layer, but air monitoring data serves as a check on whether industry controls are doing their job.He also said that when smoke clears, readings often return to “green,” even when North Dakota is downwind of major industrial sources.AirNow displays data for most of North Dakota.The NDDEQ said there is a coverage gap toward the east near Devil’s Lake because there is little industry in that area, reducing the need for a regulatory monitoring site.Copyright 2026 KFYR.All rights reserved.