As part of our ongoing commitment to protect the health of our residents and quality of our environment, CPS Energy owns and operates two comprehensive continuous air monitoring stations (CAMS) that monitor several components of the ambient air.

• The first, CAMS 678, is located at 802 Pecan Valley Drive, behind the Metropolitan Health District Office.
• The second, CAMS 622, is located near the intersection of New Sulphur Springs and Gardner Roads at Heritage Middle School, south of the athletic field.
• Additionally, we own and operate smaller continuous air monitoring stations, CAMS 623, 625, and 626. These smaller CAMS are located around the Calaveras Lake plant. There is also a monitor, CAMS 59, located southeast of Calaveras Lake. CAMS 59 is operated and maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Pollutants monitored at the two comprehensive stations include: carbon monoxide (CO); sulfur dioxide (SO2); nitric oxide (NO); nitrogen dioxide (NO2); total oxides of nitrogen (NOx); ozone (O3); particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5); and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10).

CAMS 623, 625, 626, and 59 monitor total suspended particulate (TSP) matter. Meteorological data such as wind speed, wind direction, and temperature also are recorded at each station. Summary reports of the air data are made available to the public through distribution to area high school and university libraries, as well as to San Antonio Public Libraries. Each CAMS Quarterly Summary Report contains graphical analyses of a full year's ambient air quality data, information about current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or other EPA-accepted health-based standards, and maps showing monitor locations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed NAAQS to ensure that pollutants are kept at levels that do not cause harm to human health or welfare. These standards are indicators of the EPA's determination of permissible atmospheric concentration levels of particular pollutants. Levels below the standards are considered safe to human health and the environment, with an adequate margin of safety. This indicates that the standards set by the EPA are protective of both healthy persons and persons sensitive to air pollution, such as those that are elderly, very young, asthmatic, and sick. Levels above the standard would indicate that the air quality may be unsafe to human health and the environment, although peak measurements and the frequency of exceedances should be considered. Several standards allow for one exceedance per year. Furthermore, standards for each pollutant type have been developed for multiple averaging times (one-hour, eight-hour, 24-hour, and/or annual) in order to account for the differences between exposure to short-term and long-term levels of increased concentrations.

CPS Energy CAMS Quarterly Summary Reports can be viewed at certain San Antonio public libraries or at specified area public school and college libraries. Public library locations include: Central Library; Brook Hollow Library; Carver Library; Cody Library; Cortez Library; Henry A. Guerra, Jr. Library; McCreless Library; Oakwell Library; Maury Maverick, Jr. Library; Julia Yates Semmes Library at Comanche Lookout Park.

* Note: At the Central Library, the reports are located on the 6th Floor under catalogue number TEXANA 363.7392 CPS." At the Branch Libraries, the catalogue number is Reference 363.7392.

Public school and college libraries include: Alamo Heights High School; Brackenridge High School; Sam Houston High School; Jefferson High School; MacArthur High School; Memorial High School; Burbank High School; Edison High School; East Central High School; Heritage Intermediate School; Palo Alto College Library; St. Philips College Library

* Note: Please contact the school librarian for location of the reports at area schools.

(While the most recent months' data is available, it may be unverified; verification of measurement data can take up to three months. And while these Web sites provide hourly concentrations, the data cannot be directly compared with NAAQS based on different averaging times. Up-to-date and pre-analyzed eight-hour ozone monitor data can be accessed online from the Alamo Area Council of Governments' Clean Air Drive).

For more information, contact Kim Stoker, (210) 353-2929.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 

TCEQ Region Monitor Summary

Alamo Area Council of Governments