Houston‐Galveston‐Brazoria (HGB) PM2.5 Advance · Craig Beskid, EHCMA / Steve Smith...

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Houston‐Galveston‐Brazoria (HGB) PM 2.5 Advance Path Forward Update PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY MEMBERS OF THE H‐GAC REGIONAL AIR QUALITY PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2016 UPDATE

Transcript of Houston‐Galveston‐Brazoria (HGB) PM2.5 Advance · Craig Beskid, EHCMA / Steve Smith...

Houston‐Galveston‐Brazoria(HGB)

PM2.5Advance

PathForwardUpdate

PREPAREDINPARTNERSHIPBYMEMBERSOFTHE

H‐GACREGIONALAIRQUALITYPLANNINGADVISORYCOMMITTEE

2016UPDATE

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HOUSTON‐GALVESTON‐BRAZORIA(HGB)PM2.5ADVANCEPATHFORWARDCONTENTS

Acknowledgements  ..............................................................................................................................................................................................5 

ExecutiveSummary................................................................................................................................................................................................6 

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................................................7 OverallProgramObjective.............................................................................................................................................................................7 MissionoftheLocalProgram.......................................................................................................................................................................7 VoluntaryProgramScope...............................................................................................................................................................................7 

ProgramDevelopmentProcess.........................................................................................................................................................................7 

TheRegion.................................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Houston‐GalvestonAreaCouncil.................................................................................................................................................................8 Population&Employment.............................................................................................................................................................................8 TransportationSystem....................................................................................................................................................................................8 

AirQualityBackground:AirPollution............................................................................................................................................................9 ParticulateMatter(PM)..................................................................................................................................................................................9 PastandPresentStatusofPM2.5inHGB...................................................................................................................................................9 HGBMonitoringNetwork.............................................................................................................................................................................11 HGBPM2.5Inventory.......................................................................................................................................................................................12 HarrisCountyPM2.5InventorySummary..............................................................................................................................................14 

PastandPresentInitiatives..............................................................................................................................................................................15 AirQualityProgramsatH‐GAC..................................................................................................................................................................15 CleanVehicles&CleanSchoolBusPrograms......................................................................................................................................15 CleanVesselsforTexasWaters..................................................................................................................................................................16 CommuteSolutions:CleanAirChampions............................................................................................................................................16 CommuteSolutions:RideMatch(NuRide)............................................................................................................................................16 CommuteSolutions:Telework...................................................................................................................................................................16 CommuteSolutions:METROSTARVanpoolProgram.....................................................................................................................16 CommuteSolutions:PilotProjects...........................................................................................................................................................17 EnergyCorridorDistrict’sCarshareProgram......................................................................................................................................17 DrayageLoanProgram..................................................................................................................................................................................17 Pedestrian&BicyclistProgram.................................................................................................................................................................17 VoluntaryIdlingReductionProgram.......................................................................................................................................................18 RegionalTCEQTexasEmissionReductionPlan(TERP).................................................................................................................18 RegionalTexasEmissionReductionPlan(TERP)..............................................................................................................................19 

CleanAirEducation..............................................................................................................................................................................................19 AirQualityForecastandPMActionDayE‐MailAlertsystem......................................................................................................19 DriveCleanAcrossTexas.............................................................................................................................................................................19 OzoneViewerMobileApp...........................................................................................................................................................................19 AirQualityReferenceGuide........................................................................................................................................................................19 

DustSuppressionProjectsIntheClintonDriveArea.............................................................................................................................19 

CityofHouston.......................................................................................................................................................................................................20 RenewableEnergy...........................................................................................................................................................................................20 GreenBuildingsandEnergyEfficiency...................................................................................................................................................20 GreenFleets........................................................................................................................................................................................................20 Anti‐IdlingPolicies..........................................................................................................................................................................................21 

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HoustonAirportSystemEmissionsReductions.................................................................................................................................22 BikeShareProgram........................................................................................................................................................................................22 MetalRecyclersTaskForce(MAPPS)......................................................................................................................................................23 SafePassageOrdinanceandCompleteStreetsPolicy......................................................................................................................23 SPACEUnits........................................................................................................................................................................................................23 VoluntaryEnvironmentalComplianceAgreements..........................................................................................................................23 

HarrisCountyEnhancedEnforcementProgramForSmokingVehicles........................................................................................23 

MetropolitanTransitAuthorityofHarrisCounty....................................................................................................................................24 LightRailExpansion&NewBusNetwork............................................................................................................................................24 BusFleet..............................................................................................................................................................................................................24 METROBikesonBuses..................................................................................................................................................................................24 

PortofHoustonAuthority(PHA)...................................................................................................................................................................24 BayportExpansionandIncreasedEfficiency.......................................................................................................................................24 CleanerOperatingEfficientCranes..........................................................................................................................................................25 LynxandContainerTrackingMobileApp.............................................................................................................................................25 BayportTerminalOperationalImprovements....................................................................................................................................25 GateAutomation...............................................................................................................................................................................................25 Partnerships.......................................................................................................................................................................................................25 

TexasDepartmentofTransportation...........................................................................................................................................................26 

RailroadProjects...................................................................................................................................................................................................26 Anti‐IdlingEngineControls.........................................................................................................................................................................26 RefurbishedSwitcherandLowEmissionEngines.............................................................................................................................27 

RegulatoryProjects..............................................................................................................................................................................................27 EPA’sControlofEmissionsFromShips..................................................................................................................................................27 FederalMotorVehicleControlProgram................................................................................................................................................27 

IndustryProjects...................................................................................................................................................................................................27 

EnergyEfficiencyInHGB...................................................................................................................................................................................28 

PotentialandFutureProjects...........................................................................................................................................................................28 

AirQualityPrograms&PartnerProjects....................................................................................................................................................28 CleanVehicles&CleanSchoolBusPrograms......................................................................................................................................28 DOEHydrogenFuel‐CellElectricHybridTruckDemonstrationProject..................................................................................29 DOEZero‐EmissionDeliveryVehicleDemonstrationProject.......................................................................................................29 RegionalTERP...................................................................................................................................................................................................29 

CleanAirEducation..............................................................................................................................................................................................29 PMFilterOutreachCampaign.....................................................................................................................................................................29 

HoustonIndependentSchoolDistrict(HISD)...........................................................................................................................................30 HISDElectricVehicleSchoolBusDemonstrationProject...............................................................................................................30 

CityofHouston.......................................................................................................................................................................................................30 RenewableEnergy...........................................................................................................................................................................................30 

PortofHoustonAuthority(PHA)...................................................................................................................................................................30 FutureDustSuppressionProjects............................................................................................................................................................30 BroadwaySecondMainTrackProject....................................................................................................................................................31 NaturalGas.........................................................................................................................................................................................................31 BarboursCutandBayportExtendedGatehours................................................................................................................................31 

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OtherRegionalPortProjects............................................................................................................................................................................32 OverweightContainerRouteBetweenHGBRegionPorts..............................................................................................................32 

RailroadProjects...................................................................................................................................................................................................32 ReplacementofRailroadSwitcherEngines..........................................................................................................................................32 

RegulatoryProjects..............................................................................................................................................................................................32 Tier3MotorVehicleFuelandEmissionStandards...........................................................................................................................32 

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................................................33

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ( in a lphabetical order)

RAQPACMembers&AlternateMembers1. AdrianShelley,AirAllianceHouston/BrianButler(Citizen/Environmental)2. AndyMao,TxDOT/CharlesAiriohuodion(Government)3. BobAllen,HarrisCountyPollutionControlServices/StuartMueller(LocalGovernment)4. CraigBeskid,EHCMA/SteveSmith(Business/Industry)5. DaleKornegay,AssociatedGeneralContractors/MarcAnderson(Business/Industry)6. EdmundPetry,METRO/LuisGuajardo(LocalGovernment)7. EduardoOlaguer,HoustonAdvancedResearchCenter(Citizen/Environmental)8. ElenaCraft,EnvironmentalDefenseFund(Citizen/Environmental)9. GaryScoggin,Regional/JoseBoix(Citizen/Environmental)10. IlanaHarris,CityofSugarLand/SuneNantah(LocalGovernment)11. JacqueDarbonne,HarrisCountyPrecinct2/MattVanVleck(LocalGovernment)12. JarodDavis,DowChemicalCompany/LianeM.Platt(Business/Industry)13. JoeRipple,BrazoriaRegion(Citizen/Environmental)14. KristenGauthier,CityofLaPorte/DenaMahan(LocalGovernment)15. LauraBlackburn,LeagueofWomenVotersoftheHoustonArea/NancyParra

(Citizen/Environmental)16. LeahOberlin,PortofHoustonAuthority/KenGathright(Business/Industry)17. LorenRaun,CityofHouston/TamwirBadar(LocalGovernment)18. MikeLindsey,MontgomeryCounty/RubenMartinez(LocalGovernment)19. PareshLad,CityofHouston/DonRichner(LocalGovernment)20. PaulaWarren,HarrisCounty/RonnieJames(LocalGovernment)21. PauletteWolfson,AmericanLungAssociation(Citizen/Environmental)22. PhillipGoodwin,CityofHouston/AaronWieczorek(LocalGovernment)23. RichardBrown,LibertyCounty/SandraPickett(LocalGovernment)24. RichardZientek,UnionPacific(Business/Industry)25. RonnieSchultz,GalvestonCounty/LoriFitzSimmons‐Evans(LocalGovernment)26. ShermanHampton,ExxonMobilBaytown/KellyCoppola(Business/Industry)27. StevenHansen,GreaterHoustonPartnership/SteveSmith(Business/Industry)

EPAStaffCarlYoungKenBoyceRandyPitreH‐GACStaffCharlesWempleAlanClarkEuloisCleckleyShelleyWhitworthAndrewDeCandis

YueZhangTCEQStaffDonnaHuffJimPriceKristenJacobsenLolaBrownMatthewSouthardMelanieRousseauStephenDavisWalkerWilliamson

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EXECUTIVESUMMARY

H‐GAChasdeveloped the followingPathForwardupdate inpartnershipwith theRegionalAirQualityPlanning Advisory Committee (RAQPAC), as part of our involvement in the voluntary EPA ParticulateMatter(PM)AdvanceProgram.Participationinthisprogramisaresultofsignificantcollaborationbetweenlocal governments, key citizen/environmental groups, industry representatives and other regionalstakeholderstoassistourregioninmeetingthePM2.5airqualitystandard.ThisPathForwardUpdateincludesavarietyofvoluntaryregionalairqualityimprovementefforts.Theseprojectsrangefromthereplacementofolderheavy‐dutytruckandmarineengineswithnewer,cleanermodels, to fundingelectricvehiclechargingequipment, tovoluntary industryand localgovernmentairqualityinitiatives.H‐GACprogramsalonehaveresultedinPM2.5reductionsinourregion.Over50currentH‐GAC and partner programs and projects as well as nearly 20 additional potential future initiativespresentedinthisdocumentwillcontinuetoachievereductions,whichwillbedocumentedandexpandeduponasthiseffortcontinues.On January 12, 2015, the EPA designated the HGB region as “unclassifiable/attainment” for the 2012primary annual PM2.5 annual NAAQS. But our region remains below the National Ambient Air QualityStandardforfineparticlepollution,andbymaintainingandexpandingregionalcollaborationonvoluntaryprojects,ourregionwillpositionitselftoavoidanonattainmentdesignationandbepreparedforfuture,morestringentstandards.

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INTRODUCTION

OVERALLPROGRAMOBJECTIVE

The Particulate Matter (PM) Advance Program is a voluntary, collaborative effort between localgovernment and key stakeholders to continue tomeet the revisedPM2.5National AmbientAirQualityStandard(NAAQS)whichbecameeffectiveDecember14,2012(12.0μg/m3annualstandardand35μg/m3

24‐hour standard). The NAAQS are health‐based air quality standards per the Clean Air Act. Anotherprogramgoalistofosteranunderstandingoflocalairqualityissuesandpromoteimplementationofnear‐terminitiativesthatmaintainand/orimproveambientPM2.5levels.

MISSIONOFTHELOCALPROGRAM

ThemissionoftheProgramistopromote,identify,expand,andimprovevoluntaryPMreductionefforts(bothexistingandpotentialfutureopportunities)withintheareaswherecompliancewiththe2012PM2.5NAAQS may be at risk. The Program also serves as a catalyst to encourage voluntary acceleratedimplementationof current cleanair strategiesand todevelopadditionalvoluntaryparticipation inPMreductioneffortssuchasvehiclereplacementprograms.Participation inthePMAdvanceprogramalsoprovidesanopportunityforstakeholderstovoluntarilypromotetheirownPMreductioneffortsandtakeadvantageoffundingopportunitiesthatmaybeavailableforadditionalreductionactivities.

VOLUNTARYPROGRAMSCOPE

ParticipationinPMAdvanceallowstheregiontocreateacollaborativeplatformto identifyandlaunchpotentialPMreductionsefforts.RegionalstakeholdershaveworkedtogethervoluntarilytodevelopthisPathForwardtomeetthestatedmission.Programparticipationdoesnotcreateorremoveanystatutoryorregulatoryrequirementsbutcanserveasanearlyactionframeworktomaintaincompliancewithairquality standards. Please note: this Path Forward update remains a living document. This is the thirditerationofthisreportandadditionalperiodicre‐evaluationoflocalmeasuresisanticipated.Thoseresultswillbereflectedinfutureversionsofthisreport.

PROGRAMDEVELOPMENTPROCESS

TheH‐GACRegionalAirQualityPlanningAdvisoryCommittee(RAQPAC)(representinglocalgovernments,citizen/environmentalgroupsandbusiness/industrystakeholders)examinedpotentialvoluntaryactionstoquicklyreducelevelsoffineparticulatematter.TheH‐GACBoardofDirectorsauthorizedH‐GACstafftodevelopvoluntarystrategiestoreducefineparticulatematterasrecommendedbyRAQPACandthePM2.5TaskForce.TheRAQPACPM2.5TaskForceconvenedinordertocollaborateonthedevelopmentoftheoriginalPMAdvancePathForward.TaskForceeffortsincludedmeetingstodiscussandreviewofpast,present,andpotentialfuturePMreductionprojectswithintheeight‐countyHGBozonenonattainmentareaamongstRAQPAC members, stakeholders and interested public. Efforts also included presentations on PM2.5compositioninHoustonbyTCEQandothers.ThisTaskForcewasreconvenedtoworkonthismostrecentupdatedreport.

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THEREGION

HOUSTON‐GALVESTONAREACOUNCIL

TheHouston‐GalvestonAreaCouncil(H‐GAC)istheregion‐widevoluntaryassociationoflocalgovernmentsforthe13‐countyGulfCoastPlanningregionofTexas.H‐GACisalsothe Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for theeight‐countyHouston‐Galveston‐Brazoria(HGB)area.Thisarea includes Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston,Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller Counties. Thescopeofthisreportfocusesontheeight‐countyHGBarea.

POPULATION&EMPLOYMENT1

TheHGB region has experienced dramatic changes in itspopulationsizeandcompositionoverthelastfewdecades,and these trends are expected to continue. The region isprojecting a significant increase in population andemployment over the next 25 years. There are currentlynearly6.5millionresidentsand3.1millionjobswithintheregion. By 2040, the regional population is expected toreach 9.6 million residents (an increase of 3.1 millionpeople).Similarly,theregionisexpectedtocreateanadditional1.1millionjobsforatotalofover4millionandseeanalmost60%increaseinvehiculartravelandadoublingofthemovementoffreight.Projectedpopulationgrowthwillalsoresultineconomicchangesstemmingfromincreasedpurchasingpowerandtaxrevenue.

TRANSPORTATIONSYSTEM

Everyday,morethan173millionmilesaretraveledonthesystem’sroadways2.Withinourregion,thereareapproximately26,000centerlinemilesof locally‐ownedroadsandalmost4,000centerlinemilesofstate‐owned facilities3. Inaddition, the regioncurrentlyhasover190milesofHighOccupancyVehicle(HOV)/High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in operation 4 . Regional transit includes bus routes, theMETRORaillightrailsystem,commutertransitroutes,smallervehicleroutes,andferries.TheHGBregion’stransportationsystemalsoincludesbikeways,freightrail,ports,airports,andpipelines.CongestionremainsamajorchallengefacingtheHGBregion.Thenumberofmorningandeveningpeakhourscontinuestoincreaseasthenumberofcommuterstravellingtoandfromworkincrease.Congestioninourregionwillcontinuetogrowgiventheprojectedpopulation,employment,andeconomicgrowthfacingourregion.

1 H-GAC 2040 Regional Transportation Plan: www.h-gac.com/taq/plan/2040/ 2 H-GAC TDM, 2016 (typical fall weekday VMT - all HGB roadways) 3 TxDOT Standard Reports 2012 4 H-GAC 2015 Regional Mobility Report

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AIRQUALITYBACKGROUND:AIRPOLLUTION

Airpollutionoccurswhentheaircontainsgases,particles,fumes,orodorsthatcouldbeharmfultothehealthorcomfortofhumansandanimalsorwhichcouldcausedamage toplantsandmaterials.Thesepollutantsmayresultfromnaturallyoccurringsourcessuchaswindblowndustorvolcaniceruptionsaswellasstationarysourcessuchasfactories,powerplants,orotherindustrialsitesormobilesourcessuchascars,trucks,orairplanesTheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hassetbothprimaryandsecondarystandards(NationalAmbientAirQualityStandardsorNAAQS)forsix“criteria”pollutants.Theseinclude:carbonmonoxide,lead, nitrogen dioxide, 10 micrometer particulate matter (PM10), 2.5 micrometer particulate matter(PM2.5),ground‐levelozone,andsulfurdioxide.Theregionhashistoricallybeenmost troubledbyhighconcentrations of ground‐level ozone, however there have been additional concerns about elevatedconcentrationsofPM2.5.ItistheseelevatedconcentrationsthatresultedinregionalparticipationinthePMAdvanceprogram.Itisthroughthisprogram,aswellasthroughotherEPA‐ledprograms,thatH‐GACanditspartnerscontinuetowork to reduce air pollution andhelp the regionmeet federal air quality standards.Through theseefforts,theregionhasmadeconsiderableprogresstowardsreducingbothground‐levelozoneandparticlematteremissionsoverthelastseveralyears.

PARTICULATEMATTER(PM)

Particlepollution is a complexmixtureof extremely smallparticles.This typeofpollution is generallyreferredtoasparticulatematterorPM.ComponentsofPMincludeparticlesorliquidssuchasdust,flyash,soot,smoke,aerosols,fumes,andmistsaswellascondensedvaporsthatcanbesuspendedintheair.EPAgroupsparticlepollutionintotwocategories:Inhalablecoarseparticles(PM10)andfineparticles(PM2.5).The sizeofparticles isdirectly linked to theirpotential for causinghealthproblems.Particles that aresmallerthan10micrometersindiameter(PM10andPM2.5)areabletopassthroughthethroatanddeepinto the lungs where they can cause serious health effects. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) generallyconsistsofsoot,whichisgenerallymadeupofelementalorganiccarbonfromsourcesincludingsoilandsourcesofsulfates,nitratesaswellasotherionicspeciesformedintheatmosphere.

PASTANDPRESENTSTATUSOFPM2.5INHGB

The HGB area has experienced significant improvements in PM2.5 levels over the past ten years.Historically, the HGB area has been designated as “unclassified/attainment” for particulate matterstandardsforboththePM2.5andPM10standards.DetailsoftheparticulatematterNAAQSarefoundinthetable below. Note that in 2012, EPA lowered the primary annual NAAQS for fine particles (PM2.5) to12.0μg/m3tobemoreprotectiveofpublichealth.

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Airmonitoringdatacollected,compiled,andvalidatedbytheTexasCommissionofEnvironmentalQuality(TCEQ) identifies the certified PM2.5 annual design value5 for 2010‐2012 for the HGB region as 12.1micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). Over the subsequent years, TCEQ closely monitored PM2.5concentrationsandfoundacontinuingdeclineinannualPM2.5averagesintheHGBarea(seetablebelow).OnJanuary15,2015,theEPApublisheddesignationsforthe2012primaryannualPM2.5NAAQS.TheHGBregionwasclassifiedas“unclassifiable/attainment.”PreliminaryAnnualPM2.5AveragesforClinton,AldineandBaytownRegulatoryMonitors6

EPApromulgatedfinalareadesignationsforthe2012PM2.5NAAQSonDecember18,2014.Airmonitoringdata can be retrieved from the TCEQ Texas Air Monitoring Information System (TAMIS) web:www17.tceq.texas.gov/tamis/.

5A “design value” for an area is a statistic that is compared to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to determine the attainment status of the area. An areas value is calculated using an arithmetic mean of the annual PM2.5 averages for three consecutive years at each regulatory monitor. If an area has more than one regulatory monitor, the monitor with the highest value sets the design value for the area (EPA, 2014). 6All values within this chart are certified. Only the data from these regulatory monitors will be used by EPA for attainment demonstration purposes. Source: TCEQ

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Annual Standard 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 12 12 12 12.0

Clinton 15.9 16.0 15.6 14.0 12.6 12.3 12.2 11.8 11.0 11.3 11.1

Aldine 13.8 12.8 13.0 11.8 11.6 11.9 11.5 11.2 11.0 10.1 9.4

Baytown 12.9 10.2 11.0 10.9 10.9 10.8 11.9 10.6 9.4 9.3 8.5

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Annual Average (μg/m

3)

Pollutant PrimaryNAAQS AveragingPeriod DesignationParticulateMatter(PM10)

150µg/m3 24‐hour Attainment/Unclassifiable

ParticulateMatter(PM2.5)

12.0µg/m3

(2012standard)Annual(ArithmeticMean)

Attainment/Unclassifiable

15.0µg/m3

(1997standard)Annual(ArithmeticMean)

Attainment/Unclassifiable

35µg/m3 24‐hour Attainment/Unclassifiable

35µg/m3 24‐hour Attainment/Unclassifiable

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HGBMONITORINGNETWORK

Over time, the monitoring system in the HGB region has expanded significantly. There six sites withregulatoryPM2.5monitorswithintheregion,11localconditions(acceptable)monitors,andmanymorenonregulatorymonitorsinourregion.TheCityofHouston,HarrisCounty,UniversityofHouston,TexasCommissiononEnvironmentalQuality(TCEQ),andHoustonRegionalMonitoringCorporation(HRM)andothers operate these monitors. Most of these monitoring stations measure the concentrations of thecriteria pollutants in the air, as well as air temperature, wind velocity, and other meteorologicalparameters. Some of the monitoring stations also measure the levels of an additional set of selectedchemicals,andsomemeasurepollenandmoldspores.

ThefollowingtableofmonitoringsitesliststhesixHGBPM2.5monitorsiteswhicharealsoclassifiedasFederalReferenceMethod(FRM)monitorsitesbytheEPA.PM2.5datafromtheHoustonAldine,BaytownandClintonmonitorsdetermineHGBattainmentwiththePM2.5NAAQS.TheGalveston,DeerPark,andHoustonNorthLoopPM2.5monitorsareshadedingraybelowbecausetheywereaddedrecentlyandhavenot yet collected a full three years of PM2.5 data and thus cannot yet be included in the attainmentdemonstration.

Houston‐Galveston‐BrazoriaRegion

PM2.5RegulatoryMonitoringSites

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These federal reference monitors utilize the appropriate sampling and analysis methods and qualityassurance/qualitycontrol(QA/QC)protocolsforuseindeterminingattainmentdemonstrationstatuswiththe fine particulate matter standard. Monitoring sites with FRM monitors are considered regulatorymonitors. There are numerous additional PM2.5 monitors within our region that are not consideredregulatorymonitors,butdatafromtheseothermonitoringsitesisusedbyTCEQtohelpunderstandairqualitydataandtrendsandhelppredictpossiblealerts.HGBRegionPM2.5RegulatoryMonitoringSites7

Region Name CAMSID AddressAQS

NumberSamplerType

OperationalDate

12 Baytown C01487210½BaywayDr,

Baytown482010058 PM2.5(FRM) 1/6/1999

12 Clinton C04039525ClintonDr,

Houston482011035

PM2.5(FRM&co‐located)

1/1/1999&4/6/1999

12HoustonAldine

C00084510½AldineMail

Rd,Houston482010024 PM2.5(FRM) 8/14/2000

12Galveston99thStreet

C10349511AvenueV½,GalvestonAirport,

Galveston481671034 PM2.5(FRM) 5/1/2013

12HoustonDeerPark2

C00354514½DurantSt,

DeerPark482011039

PM2.5(FRM&FEM) 8/10/2013

12 HoustonNorthLoop C1052 822NorthLoop,

Houston 482011052 PM2.5(FRM) 4/13/2015

Monitorsingrayhavebecomeoperationalwithinthelastthreeyears.Assuch,theycannotyetbeusedtodetermineattainment.ToviewthedatafromallofTCEQ’scontinuousmonitors,pleasefollowthislink:www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/sites/mon_sites.html.PleasebeawarethatthePM2.5monitorsatthesesitesarenon‐continuousmonitors.Datafromthesemonitorswillnotbeavailableuntilthefilterhasbeencollectedandanalyzedinthelaboratory.

HGBPM2.5INVENTORY

ThefollowingPM2.5inventoryisbasedonTCEQ’sadjusted2011NationalEmissionsInventory(NEI)data.TheNEIisacomprehensive,detailedestimateofcriteriaandhazardousairemissionssources.TheNEIisprepared every three years by the EPAbased primarily upon emission estimates and emissionmodelinputsprovidedbyState,Local,andTribalairagenciesforsourcesintheirjurisdictions,andsupplementedbydatadevelopedbyEPA.The2011NEIwasbuiltfromemissionsdataintheEmissionsInventorySystem(EIS).The2011versionoftheNEIisthemostcurrenteditionavailable.Publicationofthe2014inventoryisexpectedinlate‐2016.

7TheGalvestonandDeerParkPM2.5monitorswereaddedin2013andhavenotyetcollectedafulldataset.

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TCEQPM2.5InventoryforHGB8

Thesedataaresplitintofouremissioncategories:point,on‐roadmobile,non‐roadmobileandarea(non‐point)sources.Pointsourcesareindividuallyinventoriedandusuallylocatedatafixed,stationarylocation(heaters,boilerandcoolingwatertowersatlargeindustrialfacilities),althoughportablesourcesarealsoincluded(somerockcrushingoperations).On‐roadmobilesourcesincludeemissionsfromvehiclesfoundonroadsandhighways(cars,trucks,andbuses);whilenon‐roadmobilesourcesincludemobilesourcesnotfoundonroadsandhighways(lawnmowers,constructionvehicles,farmmachinery,rail,airplanes,andcommercial marine vessels). Area (non‐point) sources include those sources that are inventoriedcollectivelybecause theyare too small inmagnitudeor toonumerous to inventoryas individualpointsources, and which can often be estimated more accurately as a single aggregate source (residentialheating,leafblowers,andunpavedroads).TheestimatedemissionvaluesforTCEQnon‐pointsourcesinthechartbelowaretakenfromtheTexasAirEmissionsRepository(TexAER).TCEQPM2.5InventoryforHGB(tonsperyear)9

PointSource On‐RoadMobile Non‐RoadMobile AreaSource

Brazoria 1,343.49 105.59 192.32 4,485.76

Chambers 264.91 89.22 33.73 1,098.25

FortBend 1,663.28 161.94 168.96 3,334.43

Galveston 714.32 95.70 247.64 1,363.36

Harris 4,235.57 1,794.99 1,490.56 12,445.15

Liberty 3.98 60.53 65.99 2,658.58

Montgomery 84.48 199.81 151.08 6,788.87

Waller 7.43 42.01 33.92 1,418.63

Total 8,317.46 2,549.79 2,384.20 33,593.03

8 TCEQ’s adjusted 2011 NEI data follows the same quality assurance and quality control process as data in the Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) and Attainment Demonstration (AD) State Implementation Plan (SIP).9TCEQDataSources:2011railandlocomotive–2011,2011areasourcev2,2011commercialmarinevessels,2011AERRonroadannualcriteria,2011non‐roadannualcriteriapollutants,2011At2011DrillingRigsControlled,2011aviation‐ifnon‐road.PointSourcePMestimatesobtainedfromTCEQfor2013.Thedataissubjecttorevisionsorupdates.

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HARRISCOUNTYPM2.5INVENTORYSUMMARY

RecentambientairqualitymonitoringdataindicatethattheHoustonarea(ClintonDrivePM2.5monitorlocatedwithinHarrisCounty)hasmeasuredneartheleveloftheannualaveragePM2.5NAAQS.HoustonAdvancedResearchCenter(HARC),inpartnershipwithHarrisCounty,spearheadedanefforttofurtherinvestigatesourcesofPM2.5withinHarrisCounty:theHarrisCountyPM2.5EmissionsInventoryproject.ThisprojectwasfundedbyaCoastalImprovementAssistanceProgram(CIAP)grant,administeredbytheU.S.FishandWildlifeServicethroughHarrisCounty.TheaimofthisportionofthegrantwastoreviewthePM2.5 inventories developed by TCEQ and EPA forHarris County,make adjustmentswhen technicallyjustified,andprovidealistofpotentialcontrols,includingtheirefficienciesandcoststhatmightbeusedtoreducePM2.5emissionsbasedontherevisedinventory.Thisinventorysummaryisbrokendownintothreecategoriesofemissions:point,mobileandareasourcesusingNEI inventorydefinitions.This inventory summary identifiesunpavedroadsas thepredominantsourceofPM2.5withinHarrisCounty.2011HarrisCountyAnnualPM2.5Emissions

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PASTANDPRESENTINITIATIVES

AIRQUALITYPROGRAMSATH‐GAC

H‐GAChas partneredwith local and regional government agencies, citizen and environmental groups,business and industry‐based organizations and other stakeholders to proactively pursue air qualityimprovementswithinourregion.Currently,over12majoremissionreductionprogramsareunderwayatH‐GACduetotheregion’sozonenonattainmentstatus.Theseprogramshavemulti‐pollutantbenefitsand,despitetheirmainfocusonreducingground‐levelozone,haveproducedsignificantPM2.5reductionsinthepast.In2015alone,theseprogramsresultedinover6tonsofPM2.5reductionswithintheregion.2015CurrentControlProgramsReductions(tonsperyear‐tpy)10

MeasurePM2.5 NOx VOC

(tpy) (tpy) (tpy)CleanVehiclesProgram

Non‐DrayageProjects 0.03 112.78 0.19DrayageTrucks 4.38 99.39 5.60

RegionalTexasEmissionReductionPlan(TERP)

DrayageTrucks 16.56 1.23LocalGovernmentProjects 24.71

CleanVesselsforTexasWaters 0.13 11.08 CleanSchoolBusProgram 23.86

CommuteSolutions(CleanAirChampions,RidematchandTelework) 0.18 4.55 0.94

CommuteSolutions:METROStarVanpool 0.20 20.24 4.18

CommuteSolutions:CommuterandTransitPilotProjects 0.01 1.10 0.30

Totals 6.04 314.27 12.44

CLEANVEHICLES&CLEANSCHOOLBUSPROGRAMS

Since1995,theCleanVehiclesProgramhasprovidedgrantassistancetoreplaceolderdieselenginesinbothpublicandprivatefleetswithintheHGBregion.Thisfuelneutralprogramisdesignedtoreduceon‐roadvehicleemissionsbyrapidturnovertonewerloweremittingengines,retrofitofexistingengineswithapproveddevices,or introducenew loweremission technologies. In2015, theCleanVehiclesProgramreducednearly4.5tonsofPM2.5emissions.The Clean School Bus program serves the following counties: Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers,Colorado,FortBend,Galveston,Hardin,Harris,Houston,Jasper,Jefferson,Liberty,Matagorda,Montgomery,Nacogdoches,Newton,Orange,Polk,Sabine,SanAugustine,SanJacinto,Trinity,Tyler,Walker,Waller,and

102014AirQualityProgramemissionreductionscalculatedusingEPAMOVES2014aemissionfactors.

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Wharton.Thegoaloftheprogramistoreducechildren’sexposuretodieselexhaustandreducetheamountofairpollutioncreatedbydieselschoolbuses.

CLEANVESSELSFORTEXASWATERS

In2011,EPAawardedH‐GACalmost$1milliontorepower3high‐emittingtugvesselswith8new,cleanerengines. The repowered vessels mainly operate in the HGB non‐attainment area—docking ships andfuelingmarinevessels.Theprojecthasalreadycompletedthereplacementof8engines,andhasreducedover1.5tonofPM2.5emissions.

COMMUTESOLUTIONS:CLEANAIRCHAMPIONS

TheCleanAirChampionprogram isanoutreachprogramdesigned topartnerwith localemployers toimplementalternativecommutingandcleanfleetpolicies.OrganizationsthatmeettherequirementsoftheCleanAirChampionprogramearnthedistinctionofbeingrecognizedasaregionalleaderofemployeebenefits offerings—a designation that gives them a competitive advantage in recruiting the best andbrightestemployees.

COMMUTESOLUTIONS:RIDEMATCH(NURIDE)

NuRideisoneofthelargestandmostsuccessfulincentive‐basedonlinerideshareprogramsinthenation.NuRiderewardspeoplefortripsinwhichtheychoosetowalk,bike,telecommute,carpool,vanpool,taketransit,orworkacompressedweek.TodatetheNuRideprogramhasover28,000users,resultinginover11millionVMTreducedin2015alone.

COMMUTESOLUTIONS:TELEWORK

The Telework Program helps regional employers and employees by educating about the benefits ofteleworkingandoffering financial incentivestodevelopand implement teleworkaswellasalternativeworkscheduleprograms.2015participants in thisprogramresulted inreducingnearly3millionVMTduringtheyear.

COMMUTESOLUTIONS:METROSTARVANPOOLPROGRAM

STAR,theregionalvanpoolandrideshareprogramprovidedbyMETROisoneofthelargestprogramsofits kind in the nation. The program provides a 15‐, 12‐, or 7‐passenger van along with insurance,maintenance, roadside assistance and administrative coordination. Average fares are about $135 permonth,andtheaverageround‐triptraveledis58miles.Additionally,programparticipantsbenefitfromacapitalsubsidy11towardthecostofthevehicletohelpoffsetvanpoolcosts.Volunteerswithinthevanpoolgroupsdothedriving.Forthelastfiscalyear,therewasanaverageofvanpools inoperationwithover6,300ridersintheregion.Thisprogramreducedover62millionVMTin2015.

11Averagecapitalsubsidyfor2015was$412pervanpermonth.

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COMMUTESOLUTIONS:PILOTPROJECTS

Atotalof13pilotprojectshavebeenimplementedintheHGBregionusingacombinationoffederalfundsandlocalmatchingfunds.Theresultingnewtransitservicehasresultedinreducingnearly40millionVMTsincetheseprojectsbeganandoversixmillionin2015.

ENERGYCORRIDORDISTRICT’SCARSHAREPROGRAM

TheEnergyCorridorinpartnershipwithEnterpriseHoldingsprovidescommutersaccesstovehiclesondaystheyuseacommutealternative.CarSharevehiclesareavailableforhourlyrentalattwodifferentsitesforpersonalorworkerrandsthroughouttheday,withfuel,physicaldamage/liabilityprotection,vehiclemaintenance, and 24/7 roadside and member assistance included. This program assists in makingalternativemodeusemoreattractivetousers.

DRAYAGELOANPROGRAM

Since2010,theH‐GACDrayageLoanProgramhasofferedindependentowneroperatorand/ortruckingcompaniesservicingHGBportstheopportunitytoapplyforfinancingtosupportthepurchaseofcleaner,saferandmorefuelefficientdrayagetrucks.Almost900tonsofNOxreductionsand14tonsofPMemissionreductions are anticipated over the life of the program. This program has been a collaborative effortbetweenH‐GAC,EnvironmentalDefenseFund,andthePortofHoustonAuthority.

PEDESTRIAN&BICYCLISTPROGRAM

InHouston,1%to3%oftripsaremadebybikingorwalkingresultinginareductionofbetween40,000and120,000tripsperdaywithintheregion.ThisisequivalenttoadailyVMTreductionofbetween60,000and 175,000miles. Additionally, according to a frequency distribution analysis of trips by trip length(preparedbytheTexasTransportationInstitute12),therearenearly4milliontripsperdaythataretwomilesorlessinlengthforhome‐basedwork,homebasednon‐work,andnon‐homebasednonworktrips.Tothisend,thereisavibrantmovewithintheregiontowardmorebicycleuse.TheCityofHoustonoffersnearly500milesofaninterconnectedbikewaynetworkspanningacross500squaremiles.Thenetworkincludesbikelanes,bikeroutes,signed‐sharedlanesandshared‐usepaths,commonlyreferredtoas‘hikeandbike’trails,whichincludesrailstotrails,andotherurbanmulti‐usepaths.Inadditiontothesebicyclisttransportation facilities, there arenearly130miles of hike andbike andnature trails found inCity ofHoustonparks.Inaddition,HarrisCountyandmanymunicipalutilitydistrictshaveconstructedover160milesofbikewayswithintheCitylimits.

Thesefacilitiesandmodeshiftstowalkingandbikinghaveresultedinrealandtangibleannualpollutantreductionswithintheregion.Thishasresultedinreducing11.6tonsofVOCs,12.6tonsofNOx,0.33tonsofPM2.5,and9,550tonsofCO2annually.

12 TTI analysis of the 2009 Houston Household Travel Survey File TLFD.Hou.Reg.3WayWith.Proxy.Adj transmitted by H-GAC on 1/24/12 

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VOLUNTARYIDLINGREDUCTIONPROGRAM

In2012,inpartnershipwithlocalgovernments,citizenandenvironmentalgroups,businessandindustry‐basedorganizationsandotherstakeholdersH‐GACdevelopedavoluntaryidlingreductionprogramandadoptedavoluntarydiesel idling reductionpolicy.Thisanti‐idlingpolicyaims to lowernitrogenoxide(NOx)andotheremissionsbyplacingafive‐minuteidlelimitonmotorvehicles.Alongwithpromotingthisvoluntarypolicyregion‐wide,H‐GACprovidesidlingreductionbumperstickersandsignswithinourregionfreeofcharge.ThePortofHoustonAuthorityhasbeenamajorpartnerindevelopingandsupportingthisprogram,postingover100idlingreductionsignsattheTurningBasinterminalwithinthePort.Thefollowingorganizationswithinthe8‐countynonattainmentregionhaveanti‐idlingpoliciesinplace:AlainGarciaIndependent

TruckingAliefISDAlvinISDAngletonISDAT&TBarbersHillISDBrazosportISDTransportation

ServicesCityofGalenaParkCityofHoustonCityofHoustonClearCreekISDColumbia‐BrazoriaISDConroeISDTransportation

DepartmentCypress‐FairbanksISD

TransportationDepartmentDamonISDDanburyISD

DavenportTransportation&Rigging

DickinsonISDFastTracTransportationFortBendISDFriendswoodISDGalenaParkISDGalvestonISDGooseCreekConsolidatedISDHarrisCountyHighIslandISDHoustonAstrosHoustonBiodieselHoustonISDHuffmanISDHumbleISDJacintoCityJoseAlfaroIndependentTrucking

KleinISDMagnoliaISDLibertyISDMuseumParkSuperNeighborhoodNorthForestISDOurLadyQueenofPeaceCatholicSchoolPasadenaISDPearlandISDSantaFeISDSheldonISDSpringISDSweenyISDTexasCityISDTomballISDTxDOTUPSWallerISDWestsideHighSchool,HISD

REGIONALTCEQTEXASEMISSIONREDUCTIONPLAN(TERP)

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) regional Texas Emission Reduction Plan(TERP)program‐establishedbythe77thTexasLegislaturein2001,throughenactmentofSenateBill(SB)5‐hasbeenanimportantvoluntaryprojectinTexas.TCEQprovidesTERPfundingforemissionreductionprojects to participants in Texas. These projects include a number of voluntary financial incentiveprograms(includingEmissionReductionAndIncentiveGrants,RebateGrants,Third‐PartyandAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActRebateGrants,aswellasotherassistanceprograms),tohelpimprovetheair quality in Texas. Between 2008 and 2013 TCEQ regional TERP has funded over 3,200 vehiclereplacementstotalingover$160milliondollars.Duringthe84thSessionoftheTexasLegislaturein2015,theTERPprogramwasextendedforanadditionaltwoyearswitha50%increaseinfunding.TheseTERPgrantsareestimatedtoreducebetween65and275tonsofPMemissionsperyear13.

13ENVIRON2014

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REGIONALTEXASEMISSIONREDUCTIONPLAN(TERP)

ThefirstH‐GACRegionalTERPprogramhasprovidedover$3millioningrantfunds,resultinginover405tonsofNOxemissionreductionsfromon‐roadvehiclesandoffroadequipment(LocalGovernmentandDrayageLoanTrucks).PMreductionswerenotenumerated,butareestimatedtobeintherangeof10to40tons.ThesecondH‐GACRegionalTERPprogram,whichwasopentoLocalGovernments,provided$78,015grantfundstolocalfleetsforaNOxemissionreductionof7.8tonsfromoffroadequipment.Again,PMreductionswerenotenumeratedbutestimatedtobeatleast0.2to0.7tons.

CLEANAIREDUCATION

AIRQUALITYFORECASTANDPMACTIONDAYE‐MAILALERTSYSTEM.TCEQprovidesfreee‐mailalertsfortheToday'sTexasAirQualityForecastandPMActionDaysforseveralmetropolitanareasthroughoutTexas,includingtheHoustonarea.TheTCEQinformsthepublictypicallyadayinadvancewhenconditionsareforecasttobefavorableforhighPMlevelsinanyoftheparticipatingareasDRIVE CLEAN ACROSS TEXAS is the nation's first statewide public outreach and education campaigndesignedtoraiseawarenessandchangeattitudesaboutairpollution.OZONEVIEWERMOBILEAPP.TheHoustonCleanAirNetwork(HoustonCAN)isacoalitionofcleanairadvocates and health, science and environmental professionals representing businesses, governmentagencies,schools,communitygroupsandthegeneralpublic.TheHoustonCAN inpartnershipwithAirAllianceHouston,AmericanLungAssociationandothers‐hasdevelopedanOzoneViewerMobileApptohelpincreaseeducationandawarenesssurroundingairqualityinourarea.Thisappcanbeviewedonlineat:houstoncleanairnetwork.com.AIRQUALITYREFERENCEGUIDE.TheAirQualityReferenceGuideprovidesuptodateinformationaboutairpollutionintheHouston‐Galvestonregion.

DUSTSUPPRESSIONPROJECTSINTHECLINTONDRIVEAREA

TCEQ, EPA Region 6,theCity of Houston, Harris County Precinct 2, Port of Houston Authority, PortTerminalRailroadAssociation (PTRA)and local industryhavepartnered toaddressPM2.5 sourcesandimplementdustsuppressionstrategiestoreducePM2.5emissionsneartheClintonDrivearea.TCEQ approved a supplemental environmental project (SEP) to pavetheparking lot directly adjacenttotheClintonDrivemonitoringstation.ThepavingwascompletedinSummer2009.The City of Houston has installed barriers to keep trucks from driving ontotheunpaved shoulder.Additionally, a traffic lightwas installed at Clinton Drive andIndustrial Park East to control traffic. Alandscaping projectwas completed along ClintonDrive. Since implementation, these dust suppressionprojectshaveprovenPM2.5reductionbenefits(notsolelyPM10benefits).SpeciationdatafromtheClintonDrivemonitorshowdecreasesindustandsoilfollowingtheimplementationofdustsuppressionmeasures.

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ThePortofHoustonAuthority(PHA)hasestablishedaprogramtoregularlyapplyemulsifiedasphalttoreducedustemissionsatIndustrialParkEast(IPE)attheTurningBasinTerminal(since2007).PHAhasalsopaved18acresoflandand6,283feetofthe6,783feetofroadwayatIPE.Since2008,PHAhassprayedapproximately48acreswithemulsifiedasphalt.Additionally,DuPont,apreviousPHAtenant,nolongerstoresbulkfluorsparatIPE. In thewesternpartof theTurningBasinTerminal,PHAhasalsoreconstructed theHighLevelRoadatTurningBasin,whichaddedcapacityfromtwolanestofourlanesfromthemainentrygateoffofI‐610tothePortCoordinationCenter.BeforethereconstructionofHighLevelRoad,truckswouldpassothertrucksthatwerestoppedtomakeaturnbytravelinginthedirtshoulderwhichwouldcreatedust.Thewideningoftheroadto2laneseachdirectioneliminatesthispracticeandhasreduceddustcreatedfromshoulders.Furthermore,PHAhasbeenworkingwithourtenantstoeliminatethedirtthatistrackedoutfromtheirleasedyardsontoHighLevelRoad.Inaddition,industryhasundertakendustsuppressioneffortsnearthePort.ThePTRAhasstoppedsteelloadingactivitiesonadirtareatothesouthoftheClintonDrivemonitortoreducedust.ValeroAsphaltpaveditslargelandleaseslocatedacrossClintonDrivetothesoutheastoftheClintonmonitor.

CITYOFHOUSTON

RENEWABLEENERGY

TheCityisthelargestmunicipalpurchaserofgreenpowerinthenationwithmorethan50percentoftheCity’senergysupplycomingfromeitherwindorsolarsources.TheCityisplanningtocontinuetoexpandthisportfoliothroughtheconstructionof30MWofsolarpowerwhichwillbeusedtopowerCityfacilities.

GREENBUILDINGSANDENERGYEFFICIENCY

ForCitybuildings,thereisanaggressiveprograminplacetoimproveenergyefficiency.Sofar,6millionsquarefeetofcityfacilitieshavebeenretrofittedandarereducingenergyusageby30percenteachyear.By2020, theCityhasalsocommittedto improvingenergyefficiencyby20percentatanadditional30millionsquarefeetof facilities.TheCityhasalsoadoptedanaggressivestanceonthecreationofLEEDcertifiedbuildings targetingSilvercertification forallnewconstruction.So far, thishasresulted in thecompletionof23LEEDcertifiedprojectswithanotherninecurrentlybeingplanned.

For residents, the City administers the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Energy EfficiencyProgram(REEP).Throughthisprogram,theCityhashelped13,000residentsbenefitfromtheprogramwhichhasresultedin12to18percentkWhreductionsforparticipantswithanaveragesavingsof$60to$125permonth.Inaddition,theCityprioritizesthereviewofsolar‐onlyplanswithaturnaroundofjustseven days with the “Solar in 7” program. In 2016, the City of Houston intends to adopt the2015InternationalEnergyConservationCodeforresidentialandcommercialbuildings.Thesenewcodesimproveenergyconservationascomparedtotheexistingcode.

GREENFLEETS

Transportationaccountsforaboutone‐thirdofthegreenhousegasesproducedintheHoustonregion.TheCity of Houston operates about 10,000 vehicles for municipal operations. Because of this large fleet

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footprint, energy efficiency and emission reduction strategies are very important for the City’s fleetoperationastheCityleadsbyexampleintheregioninvestinginseveralalternativefuelvehicles.TheCityofHoustonhasover700hybridand42electricandplug‐inelectrichybridfleetvehiclescurrentlyoperatinginthefleet.Anadditional18hybridrefusetrucksand15electricvehiclesareplannedfor2017.TheCityalsohasanaturalgasrefusetruckandlight‐dutypropanetrucksandmowersinthefleet.Onaveragetheelectricvehiclesaredrivenover10,000milesamonth;that’s120,000milesperyearbeingdivertedfromgasvehiclestoelectricvehicles.Thisrepresentsasignificantreductioninemissions,fuelcost,andmaintenancecosts.TheCityhas77BlinkchargingstationsthroughoutvariouscityfacilitiesinHouston,including24attheairportsand29indowntownHouston.Inaddition,morechargingstationsareplannedinthenewHobbyAirportparkinggarage.TheCityembarkedonanewsharedmotorpoolconcepttoreducethenumberofoverallvehicles.TheCitypartneredwithZipcartolaunchanewprogramcalledFleetShare.TheCitysetup50vehicleswithZipcar’ssharingtechnologyandonlinereservationsystem.CityemployeesneedingtouseaCityvehicleforCitybusinessnowjustlogontotheirFleetShareaccount,selectthevehicletheyneedandgousethevehicle.Thenumberofvehicleshasgrownfrom50to120andhasresultedina50%increaseutilizationcomparedtonon‐FleetSharevehicles.Over100vehicleshavebeeneliminatedorreassignedbymovinggroupsawayfromowningandoperatingtheirownCityvehicle,intothesharedmodelapproach,servicingmorepeoplewithfewervehicles.In2015theCityofHoustonwasrecognizedbyGovernmentFleetMagazine,asatopgreenfleetinthenation.

ANTI‐IDLINGPOLICIES

In2011,theCityadoptedananti‐idlingpolicyformunicipalvehicles.Itwaslaterrevisedin2012.

Section7.2.29oftheAdministrativeProcedureforMotorVehicleAssignmentandUsestates:

NoemployeeshallcauseorallowanengineofaCityvehiclethatiswithinhisorhercustodyorcontroltoidleformorethanfiveconsecutiveminutesinaone‐hourperiodwhentheCityvehicleisnotinmotionorwhentheotherengineisnotbeingusedforitsprimaryfunction.NoemployeeshallswitchtheCityvehicleengineoffandbackoninamannerthatwouldservetocomplywiththefive‐minutelimitation,butdefeattheintentofthisrestriction,whichistoreduceemissions,fuelconsumption,andvehiclemotorandotherenginewearcausedbyengineidling.Exceptionstothisruleinclude:

7.2.29.1TheCityvehicleisprohibitedfrommovementduetotrafficconditionsoverwhichtheoperatorhasnocontrol;

7.2.29.2TheCityvehicleisbeingusedinanemergencyorlawenforcementcapacity;

7.2.29.3TheCityvehicleisbeingusedasaprimarypowersourceforanotherdevicesuchasapowertake‐off(PTO)unit;

7.2.29.4TheCityvehicleisbeingoperatedformaintenanceordiagnosticpurposes;

7.2.29.5TheCityvehicleisbeingusedintransitoperations,suchasabustotransportpassengers,inwhichcasetheenginemaybeallowedtoidleforupto30minutes;or

7.2.29.6TheCityvehicleisidlingtoprotectemployeehealthorsafety.

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OnNovember4,2015,MayorAnniseParkerandHoustonCityCouncilapprovedtheCityofHouston’sAnti‐IdlingOrdinanceaimedatimprovingHouston’squalityoflifeandprotectpublichealth.

ARTICLEXofChapter21‐REDUCTIONOFEMISSIONSFROMIDLINGMOTORVEHICLESstates:

Itshallbeunlawfulforanowneroroperatorofamotorvehicleoperatedwithinthecitylimitstocauseorallowtheprimarypropulsionengineofamotorvehicletoidleformorethanfiveconsecutiveminuteswhenthemotorvehicleisnotinmotion.

MotorVehiclesaredefinedas:Anyself‐propelleddevicepoweredbyanengine,designedtooperatewithfourormorewheelsincontactwiththeground, andwithgross vehicleweight ratingofmore than14,000pounds, inorbywhich apersonorpropertymay be transported, and is required to be registered under the Texas Transportation Code, butspecifically excludingmotor vehicles being used by the United StatesMilitary, National Guard, or ReserveForces,asanemergencyor lawenforcementmotorvehicle,motorvehiclesbeingusedbytheMetropolitanTransitAuthorityofHarrisCountyforpublichealthandsafetypurposes,orvehiclesbeingactivelyloadedorunloaded.

HOUSTONAIRPORTSYSTEMEMISSIONSREDUCTIONS

To reduce emissions from flights, winglets are being utilized to reduce fuel consumption by 6%.Improvementstoairfieldrunways,taxiways,andgates/rampreducedaircrafttaxiandidletimeswhichresulted in both fuel consumption and associated emissions reductions and improved air quality.Additionally,theuseofauxiliarypowerunits(APUs).APUsaresmallon‐boardturbinesthatareoperatedtoprovideelectricalpowerandairconditioningtoanaircraftwhenit isparkedatagateandthemainenginesareshutdown.InstallationofgateelectrificationequipmentenablesparkedaircrafttoforegotheuseofAPUswhichresultsinareductioninbothjet‐fuelconsumptionandassociatedemissions.Intotal,emissionreductionsfromgroundserviceequipmenthaveresultedina75%NOxreductionequalto1.150tonsperday.AtHoustonGeorgeBushIntercontinentalAirport,rentalcarcompaniesformerlyoperatedoutofseparatefacilities locatedbothonandoff airportproperty.HoustonAirportSystemconstructedaConsolidatedRentalCarFacilityonairportpropertysouthoftheterminalareawhichsignificantlyreducedthemixofnumbers,types,andagesoftheexistingbusesoperatedbythevariousrentalcarcompanies.Thisresultedinareductioninbothdieselfuelconsumptionandassociatedemissions.AsimilarfacilityisbeingplannedforWilliamP.Hobbyairport.In2014,theIAH’sRentalCarBusFleetwasreplacedwithcleanburningdieselengines,whichresultedinPM2.5andotheremissionsreductions.

BIKESHAREPROGRAM

InApril,2013,theCityexpandedthebikeshareprogram,knownasHoustonB‐cycle(houston.bcycle.com),toencouragebikinginHouston.Theprograminitiallybeganwithonly3kiosksand18bikesin2012andnow has over 225 bikes and 33 kiosks throughout the downtown area and adjacent neighborhoods(Montrose,Midtown,EastEnd,Heights,Downtown,andtheMuseumDistrict).Tokeeppacewithgrowingdemand,PhaseIIIoftheprogram’sexpansionplanincludesadding71kiosksand568bikestothebikesharesystemoverthenext18months.TheCity’sprogramoperator,HoustonBikeShare,willoverseetheimplementation of this phase at several universities, the Texas Medical Center, and surroundingneighborhoods.

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METALRECYCLERSTASKFORCE(MAPPS)

TheCityiscollaboratingwithresearchersfromtheUniversityofTexasHealthScienceCenteratHoustonSchoolofPublicHealth(whoareinthelead)andRiceUniversity,areametalrecyclingfacilities,communitymembers,andAirAllianceHoustoninaprojecttostudyandaddresspotentialhealthrisksassociatedwithairemissionsfrommetalrecyclingfacilitiesinHouston.Thisisathreephaseproject,currentlyinPhase1.Phase1oftheprojectconsistsofcollaboratorsworkingtoconductoutdoorairmonitoring,determinehealthrisksanddescriberesidents’environmentalhealthconcerns.Phase2oftheprojectconsistsofdevelopmentandapplicationofaPublicHealthActionPlantorecommendbestemissions‐mitigating‐practicesandeducatethecommunity,metalrecyclersandpolicymakersaboutenvironmentalhealth.Phase3oftheprojectconsistsoffollowupactivitiestoevaluatetheeffectivenessofthePublicHealthActionPlan.

SAFEPASSAGEORDINANCEANDCOMPLETESTREETSPOLICY

TheCityapprovedaSafePassingordinanceinMay2013tokeepbicyclistsandpedestrianssaferoncitystreetsandencouragemoreoutdooractivity.InNovember2013, then‐MayorAnniseParkerunveiledatransformativenewapproachforHoustonstreetsthatwillaccommodatetheneedsofallusers,notjustthosebehindthewheel.TheMayor’sCompleteStreetsandTransportationExecutiveOrder ismeanttoprovidesafe,accessibleandconvenientaccessbymotorists,publictransitriders,pedestrians,bicyclists,andpeopleofallabilities.In2014,theCityandBikeHoustoncreatedabikesafetycampaign,GoalZero,toenforceandeducatemotoristsandcyclistsabouttheSafePassingordinance.

SPACEUNITS

In2011,17mobilesolar‐poweredgenerators(SPACEunits)wereacquiredthroughapartnershipwiththeCollegeofArchitectureattheUniversityofHouston’sGreenBuildingComponentsProgramandplacedatfirestations,parks,neighborhoodcentersandschools;theseunitsreducetheuseofdieselgeneratorsinanemergency.

VOLUNTARYENVIRONMENTALCOMPLIANCEAGREEMENTS

TheCityandindustrialbusinesseshavevoluntarilyimplementedenvironmentalcomplianceagreementsthat help reduce emissions.By these agreements businesses have modified operational controlsminimizingparticulateandvisibleemissions,suchasfrompaintingandabrasiveblastingoperationsintheshipchannelarea.

HARRISCOUNTYENHANCEDENFORCEMENTPROGRAMFORSMOKINGVEHICLES

TheHarrisCountySheriff’sDepartment,thePrecinct4Constable’sOffice,andthePrecinct5Constable’sOfficehaveimplementedanemissionsenforcementprogramtoensurethatallvehiclesonourroadsareincompliancewithairqualitystandards.Thisenforcementprogramisconductedincollaborationwiththe

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Harris CountyDistrict Attorney’s office, theHarris County Judge’s office, theHarris CountyAttorney’soffice,theTexasDepartmentofPublicSafety,andtheHouston‐GalvestonAreaCouncil.Lawenforcementpersonneltargethighemittingvehicles,smokingvehicles,andsuspiciousvehiclestoverifythatthestateinspectioncertificatesattachedtothesevehiclesarelegitimate.

METROPOLITANTRANSITAUTHORITYOFHARRISCOUNTY

LIGHTRAILEXPANSION&NEWBUSNETWORK

TheMetropolitanTransitAuthorityofHarrisCounty(METRO)hasexpandeditslight‐railinfrastructurewithintheCityofHouston,recentlyopeningtwonewlightraillinesinMayof2015.Withthisaddition,Houston’s passenger rail operations have expanded from 7.5 miles to 23 miles. In addition, METROimplementeditsNewBusNetwork(NBN)inAugust2015inanefforttocurtaildecliningridershiponthelocalbusnetwork.Thusfar,theNBNhasexperiencedanincreaseof4.5millionboardingsor6.8percentonthelocalnetwork(busandrail).Theincreasedridershiprepresentsa19percentincreaseover2012–2015fiscalyearscombined.

BUSFLEET

METROcurrentlyoperatesafleetofmorethan1,232busesthatcarrymorethan85millionpassengersannually.Overone‐thirdoftheMETRObusfleet,437buses,ispoweredbyclean‐running,diesel‐electrichybridtechnologyand57compressednaturalgas(CNG),resultinginsignificantPMreductionsfortheHGBregion.

METROBIKESONBUSES

Thereareagrowingnumberofbicycleandpedestrianpathsandwalkwaysandaconcentratedefforttoconnectthesewalkwayswithactivitycentersandtransitnodes.AllMETRObusesareequippedwithbikeracks,withtheexceptionofparkandridebuses(whichhavecargoareasforbikestorage).METRO’sannualbikeboardingscontinuetoincreasefrom2011through2015.InMETRO’sFY2013,therewere167,421bike boardings that were recorded and in FY 2014 that number increased by 50% to 251,072 bikeboardingsand4%forFY2015,totaling262,271bikeboardings.14

PORTOFHOUSTONAUTHORITY(PHA)

BAYPORTEXPANSIONANDINCREASEDEFFICIENCY

The Port of Houston Authority was awarded a $10 million Transportation Investment GeneratingEconomicRecovery(TIGER)grant in2013tobeusedtowardtheexpansionoftheberthat itsBayportContainer Terminal. The grant helped fund the extension of Bayport'swharf and purchase three newelectric,rail‐mountedgantrycranestohandletheincreaseincontainerthroughput.TheprojectwillallowBayporttohandlemorethan2million20‐foot‐equivalentunits(TEUs),doublingitspresentcapacity,andwillhelpsupportinternationaltradewithmorethan1,000portsinmorethan200countries.Increasedproductivity as a result of the expansion is projected to reduce truck waiting and idling times by anestimated7.6minutesonaverage.14Metro Bike Boarding Running Count FY 2011 – FY 2015

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CLEANEROPERATINGEFFICIENTCRANES

ThePortofHoustonAuthorityrecentlyreplaced10Tier2755horsepowerrubbertiredgantrycranes(RTGs)atBarboursCutwith8newerTier3665horsepowerRTGs.TheseRTGswilloperateabout2,500hoursayearandwillbeabletohandlethesameamountofcargoplusadditionalcargoastheeightretiredcranesbecausetheoldercranesaveragedabout4movesanhourwhilethenewcranesaverageabout12to15movesperhour.Theincreasedefficiencyassociatedwiththesecleaner,fastercranesreducesthetruckidlingandassociatedemissionsatthePort.

LYNXANDCONTAINERTRACKINGMOBILEAPP

The Port of Houston Authority’s online information system that tracks vessel arrivals and containermovements at its Barbours Cut andBayport terminals is called Lynx. The Port Authority has recentlyexpandedaccess toLynx to truckingcompaniesandcargoownersso thatcontaineravailabilitycanbetrackedand the trucking companycanbeautomaticallynotifiedwhena container is ready forpickup.Additionally,thePortAuthorityhasdevelopedamobileappthatallowsdriverstocheckonthestatusofacontaineranditspickupavailability.Itisavailablefordownloadat:www.portofhouston.com/container‐terminals/bayport/container‐tracking‐mobile‐app/TheexpandedaccesstoPortAuthoritycontainerstatusatitscontainerterminalsthroughLynxandthemobileappreducesunwarrantedtrucktripstotheterminalsandthereforeresultsinlesscriteriapollutantemissions.

BAYPORTTERMINALOPERATIONALIMPROVEMENTS

ThestopsignatthetruckexitattheBayportContainerTerminalhasbeenremovedandPortRoadhasbeenrestripedtoallowtwo lanesof trucktraffic toexitwithoutstopping.Thiseliminates idling foralltrucksexitingBayportpluseliminatesasourceofcongestionduringpeaktimes.

GATEAUTOMATION

PHA has implemented an automated gate system with optical character recognition (OCR) portal toautomateequipmentidentification,trafficprocessinganddamageinspectionimagingattheentrygateoftheBarboursCutandBayportcontainerterminals.Thesystemautomaticallyidentifiescontainers,chassis,andlicenseplatesassociatedwiththeequipment.Sinceimplementation,gateOCRinstallationenabledPHAtoprocesstruckstwiceasfastandreducedidlingtimeby48%,dramaticallyreducingemissions.

PARTNERSHIPS

As part of PHA’s efforts to exchange older engines with cleaner burning technologies, PHA createdpublic/privatepartnershipswith tenantsandstakeholders to implementemissionreductionstrategiesandpolicies.PHAhasestablishedaproventrack‐recordinsecuringstateandfederalgrantsforemissionreductionbenefitsforPHAandPHAtenantandstakeholderenginesandequipment.Through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)/Diesel Emission Reduction Act(DERA),PHAandsixtenant/stakeholderpartnersused$2.8millioningrantfundsforthereplacement,

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repowerandretrofitof115dieselenginesusedinportactivitywhichwillresultinlifetimereduction6tonsofPM2.5.Furthermore,PHAprovided$50,000inmatchingdollarsasleveragefora$9millionEPASmartWaygranttofundtherevolvingDrayageLoanProgramIn2010PHAwasalsoawardedaDERAgrantof$1.5milliontocovertheincrementalcostsassociatedwithfuelswitchingactivitiesforallMaerskvesselscallingatPHApriortotheEPA’smandatedNorthAmericaEmissionControlAreaimplementationin2012.Thefleetof26vesselsperformed163vesselcallsandfuelswitcheswhichresultedinadecreaseinemissionsof32tonsofPM2.5.Inearly2015,PHAwasawardedalmost$1.8milliondollarsfortwodifferentDERAgrantsthatwillbeusedtoreplaceolderdrayagetrucks.The funds fromonegrantwillbepassedthroughtoH‐GACto fundanexpansiontoitsHouston‐GalvestonDrayageTruckProgram.Thisgrantisexpectedtoreplace14olderon‐roaddrayagetruckswithnewer2010modelyearcompliantdrayagetrucksandisexpectedtoreduce2.5tonsofPM2.5overthelifetimeofthetrucks.Thefundsfromthesecondgrantwillbepassedthroughto2ofPHA'stenantsandwillreplace25olderdrayagetrucks(13on‐roadtrucksusedonlyonPHAturningbasinterminaland12on‐roadterminal tractorsusedtopickupcontainersat theBayportandBarboursCutterminals)withneweron‐roadterminaltractorswith2010modelyearcomplianton‐roadengines.Thisgrantisexpectedtoreduce5.03tonsofPM2.5overthelifeofthetrucks.Regionalpartners,includingPHA,plannedtoapplyforadditionalDERAfundingduringthe2016fundingopportunity however were unable to finalize a submitting during this year. It is expected that theseregional partners will apply for future DERA funding rounds in 2017 and beyond for these alreadydevelopedprojects. It is expected that theseprojectswill result in furtherPM2.5 reductionswithin theregion.

TEXASDEPARTMENTOFTRANSPORTATION

TheTexasDepartmentofTransportation(TxDOT)hasbeenworkingtoreducebothNOxandPM2.5throughavarietyofdifferentstrategies.TxDOThasencouragedcontractorsinbothconstructionandmaintenancetolimitworkhourstotimeswhichwouldhavetheleastimpactonairquality.Forconstructioncontractorsinhigh‐volumecorridors,thisincludeslimitingconstructiontonighttimeandotheroff‐peakperiods.Formaintenancecontractorsthisfocusesoncurtailingworkduringozoneactiondays.Inaddition,forTxDOTstaffisencouragedtolimitidlingofagencyvehicleswhenpossible.TxDOThasalsoimplementedaprogramtoreplaceandupgradeinefficientoff‐roadvehiclestonewer,moreefficientmodels.

RAILROADPROJECTS

ANTI‐IDLINGENGINECONTROLS

Approximately60%ofUnionPacific (UP) switcher enginesoperating in theHGBareahaveanti‐idlingcontrols,whichreducePMemissions.

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REFURBISHEDSWITCHERANDLOWEMISSIONENGINES

ThePortTerminalRailroadAssociation(PTRA)andUPareoperatingnewlyrefurbishedswitcherenginesontheClintonline.UPcurrentlyhas52newlow‐emissiongenset15enginesintheHoustonarea.Inaddition,UPhas13Tier2locomotivesfundedbyTexasEmissionsReductionPlan(TERP).

REGULATORYPROJECTS

AnumberofregulatoryprojectshavereducedfineparticulatematteremissionsintheHGBregion.Someoftheseinitiativesareoutlinedbelow.

EPA’SCONTROLOFEMISSIONSFROMSHIPS

In March 2010, the International Marine Organization (IMO) officially designated waters off NorthAmericancoastsasanEmissionControlArea(ECA)withstringentinternationalemissionstandardsforships.Thefirst‐phasefuelsulfurstandardbeganin2012,whichrequiredthatallmarinedieselfuelsusedbyshipsintheNorthAmericanECAbelimitedtoamaximumfuelsulfurcontentof10,000ppm(1%).InJanuary2015,amorestringentmaximumof1,000ppm(0.1percent)cameintoforceforallshipsintheNorth American ECA. It is anticipated that the implementation of the ECAwill reduce PM2.5 shippingemissionsintheGulfCoastregionby86%.

FEDERALMOTORVEHICLECONTROLPROGRAM

TheFederalMotorVehicleControlProgramhassignificantlyreducedexhaustemissionsfrombothlightdutyandheavydutyvehiclesintheHGBarea.INDUSTRYPROJECTS

AsofJanuary2011,approximately90%ofthenation’srefinerycapacityisunderlodgedorentered‘global’settlementstoreduceSO2emissionsatbothrefineriesandsulfuricacidplants16.AnEastHarrisCountycompanyreducedparticulateemissionsbyanestimated24tonsperyearduring2005 to 2007 with several projects including boiler shutdown, process changes and cooling towerequipment upgrades. Another company upgraded cooling tower equipment and decreased particulateemissions(quantitynotestimated).Shell Deer Park made several equipment upgrades that reduced particulate and/or sulfur dioxideemissions,includingthe2003installationofawetgasscrubberonrefinery’scatcracker,resultinginthereductionof61tpyofPMand4674tpyofSO217.ShellalsoinstalledaflaregasrecoverycompressorsystemontheDeerParkRefinery’sEastPropertyFlareatendof2012—resultinginthereductionof2475tonsofSO218annually.15Gensetlocomotivesarepoweredbyultra‐low‐emissiondieselenginesthatareconnectedtoelectricgenerators,thusthename"Generator‐Set,"or"Genset"switcher.http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/implementation/air/sip/hgb/hgb_mveb_2012/12002SIP_ado_complete.pdf

16http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/refineryinitiative‐powerpoint021111.pdf17Basedoncomparisonof2002/2003emissionsto2004/2005emissions18Basedoncomparisonof2011emissionsversus2013preliminary‐AEIemissions

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ValeroRefininghas implemented controlmeasures to reduce SO2 emissions by3,500 tpy. TheRhodiasulfuricacidplantwasprojectedtodecreaseitsSO2emissionsby8,984tonsperyearfrom2005to2012.TheDowChemicalCompanycompletedseveralshutdownsandupgradestofacilitiesatFreeportandDeerParkthatreducedPMemissionsby192.97tpy.Theseprojectsinclude:ashutdownoftheAcetyleneplant(Deer Park), 2008; Latex plant shutdown (Freeport), 2009; Upgrades to theDowPyridine derivativesfacilityandcoolingtower(Freeport),2009;Power3,Power6andPoly2facilitiesshutdown(Freeport),2010;EDCVCMfacilityshutdown(Freeport),2011;Styrene1,2,EBAanddistributionfacilitiesshutdown(Freeport),2012;andimprovementstoHTcoolingTowerinDeerPark,includingdrifteliminators,2013.

ENERGYEFFICIENCYINHGB

In1999,thePublicUtilityCommissionofTexas(PUCT)adoptedrulesforthestate'sRenewableEnergyMandate, establishing a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), a renewable‐energy credit (REC) tradingprogram,andrenewable‐energypurchaserequirementsforcompetitiveretailersinTexas19.

TheStatehasestablishedtheTexasEnergyEfficiencyresourcegoalof20%incrementalloadgrowthin2011,whichisequivalenttoapproximately0.10%annualsavings,with25%in2012,30%in2013andonward20.

InFortBendCounty,NRGEnergyaddeda75‐megawattnaturalgasgeneratingunittoitsW.A.Parishpowerplant.ThisnaturalgasunithashigherenergyefficiencyandlessPM2.5emissionsthanaconventionalpowerplant.

PHAalsowillincreaseitsrenewableenergypurchasesfrom25%to30%.

POTENTIALANDFUTUREPROJECTS

TheseideasareNOTcommitmentsoffutureaction.Theyaremerelyideas,andtheirimplementationwouldbecontingentonfundingavailability,andanaffirmativecommitmentfromtheproposingagency.AllideasarevoluntaryandwouldresultinPMbenefits.

AIRQUALITYPROGRAMS&PARTNERPROJECTS

CLEANVEHICLES&CLEANSCHOOLBUSPROGRAMS

TheCleanVehiclesProgramwillcontinuetoprovidesignificantemissionreductionswithinourregion.Thisprogramhasfundedreplacementsofschoolbuses,privatefleets,drayagetrucks,transitvehiclesandmore. Since its start, the program has provided over $78million in financial aid, replaced over 2,700enginesanddevelopedseveralalternativefuelingstations.Inthefuture,theCleanVehiclesProgramwill

19http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=TX03R&re=1&ee=120http://www.aceee.org/sector/state‐policy/texas

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targetheavy‐dutyfleetreplacementswhichwillcontinuetoresultinbothPMandNOxemissionreductionsfortheregion.In2015,EPAawardedatotalof$240,000tothreeschooldistrictsinTexastoreplaceolderdieselschoolbuseswithnewbusesthatemit90percentcleaneremissions21.TheAldineIndependent,LoneStarPublicSchool and Spring Branch Independent School Districts will receive rebates through EPA’s DieselEmissionsReductionActtoreplace12oftheirexistingdieselschoolbuses.Since2008,theDERAprogramhasfundedover600cleandieselprojectsacrossthecountry.Theseprojectshavereducedemissionsformorethan60,000engines.Over500schoolbusfleetsappliedtoEPA'sRebateProgram,requestingover$32millioninfunding.

DOEHYDROGENFUEL‐CELLELECTRICHYBRIDTRUCKDEMONSTRATIONPROJECT

TheU.S.Department ofEnergy (DOE)provided a grantof $3.4million for a three‐yeardemonstrationprojectsupportingthedeploymentofthreezeroemissionClass‐8Hydrogenfuelcell‐electrichybridtrucksatthePortofHoustonAuthority(PHA).Thepurposeoftheprojectistodeployheavy‐dutytrucksfueledbyhydrogenandtodemonstratecost‐effectiveness,emissionsreduction,andcommercialviability.

DOEZERO‐EMISSIONDELIVERYVEHICLEDEMONSTRATIONPROJECT

ThegoalofH‐GAC’sZeroEmissionTruckprojectistodemonstratetheeffectivenessofall‐electricdeliveryvehiclesintheHoustonregion.H‐GACreceivedmorethan$2millionfromtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyfor this project. H‐GAC has partnered with United Parcel Service (UPS) and Workhorse to develop,assemble,anddeployall‐electricdeliveryvehiclesalongwithanelectricvehiclechargingstation(EVSE)foreachvehicleatfacilitieswithintheHGBregion.Thishasresultedinthedeploymentof18oftheseall‐electric vehicles on regional roads. These vehicleswill be tested over two years tomeasure emissionreductions and evaluate vehicle performance. It is anticipated that an additional 12 vehicles will bedeployedwithlocalfleetsbeforecompletionoftheproject.Bydeployingzeroemissiontrucks,theprojectwillreducepetroleumconsumptionandemissionsofharmfulairpollutants,includingPM.

REGIONALTERP

H‐GACreceived$3millionfromTCEQtoestablishthesecondRegionalTexasEmissionReductionProgram(TERP). The Regional TERP provided grants to local governments for the replacement of non‐roadequipmentandon‐roadvehiclespoweredbyheavydutydieselengines,andaids in thereplacementofdrayagetrucksassociatedwiththeDrayageLoanProgram.RegionalTERPgrantamountsarebasedupontheNOxreductioncreatedbytheequipmentandvehiclereplacement.ThesereplacementswillalsoresultinPM2.5reductionsintheHGBarea.CLEANAIREDUCATION

PMFILTEROUTREACHCAMPAIGN

H‐GACisconsideringthepotentialapplicationandimpactofaPMfilteroutreachandeducationcampaignfortruckdrivers.DieselparticulatefiltersareceramicdevicesthatcollectPMinexhauststeam.Thehigh

21http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/dera‐rebate‐schoolbus.htm

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temperatureoftheexhaustheatstheceramicstructureandallowstheparticlesinsidetobreakdown(oroxidize) into lessharmful components.Whenmaintainedcorrectly,PM filters reduceemissionsofPM,hydrocarbons and carbonmonoxide by 60 to 90 percent22. To function appropriately,manufacturersrecommend that filters be cleaned every 100,000 miles to prevent clogged filters. The educationalcomponentofthiscampaignwouldfocusonappropriateuseandmaintenanceofPMfiltersandassociatedemissionreductiontechnology.

HOUSTONINDEPENDENTSCHOOLDISTRICT(HISD)

HISDELECTRICVEHICLESCHOOLBUSDEMONSTRATIONPROJECT

ThispotentialfutureprojectisbeingledbyNationalStrategiesLLCaspartofacommitmentmadeunderthe Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), with the support of Houston Independent School District (HISD),TransPowerandNRGandothers.Thedemonstrationprojectbeingconsideredincludestherepowerof4conventionaltype‐CHISDschoolbusestoall‐electric,batterypoweredvehicles(EV)withvehicle‐to‐grid(V2G)technologyandvehicle‐to‐building(V2B)capability.Theprojectdurationisanticipatedtobe2.5to3 years, including a 9‐month bus operation cycle in summer andwinter seasons with a total cost ofapproximately$2million.TheoverallobjectivesoftheprojectaretodemonstratetheeconomicviabilityandairqualitybenefitsofEVV2Gschoolbuses inordertospeedtheadoptionofzero‐emissionschoolbusesandassociatedemissionreductionsacrosstheU.S.

CITYOFHOUSTON

RENEWABLEENERGY

In 2014, EPA recognized the City of Houston for its use of green power practices and technologies23.Houston signed a two‐year agreement to purchase more than 620million kilowatt‐hours of certifiedrenewableenergycertificatesfromwindprojects.Thispurchaseaccountsforhalfofthecity'smunicipalpowerneedsandmakeHoustonthelargestmunicipalpurchaserofrenewablepowerintheGreenPowerPartnership. The City is planning to continue to expand this renewable energy portfolio through theconstructionof30MWofsolarpowerwhichwillbeusedtopowerCityfacilities.

PORTOFHOUSTONAUTHORITY(PHA)24

FUTUREDUSTSUPPRESSIONPROJECTS

22EPAhttp://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel/pdfs/particulate_matter_filter_fact%20sheet.pdf

23http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm

24TheseideasareNOTcommitmentsoffutureaction.Theyaremerelyideas,andtheirimplementationwouldbecontingentonfundingavailability,andanaffirmativecommitmentfromtheproposingagency.TheseideascanbeconsideredasfactorsinthePMAdvancediscussion,buttheythemselvesarenotopenfordiscussionbeforeRAQPAC.AllideasarevoluntaryandwouldresultinPMbenefits.Contingentonfunding,andinconjunctionwithTxDOT,railroads,theCityofHouston,H‐GAC,andHarrisCounty

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Fugitiveroaddustentrainmentrates,whetherfromparkinglotsoronthetransitnetwork,dependuponthe dust loading, vehicle speed and number of vehicles. Dust loading has been controlled by pavingunpavedsurfacesandregularpavementcleaningorwateringorothertreatmentofunpavedsurfaces.Thebenefitsoftheseprogramsareproportionaltotheactivityonthosesurfaces.Analysisoftheseprojectsisrelativelystraightforwardgiventhelevelofactivityandunderstandingofthedustloadingofthoseareas.

ThePortofHoustonAuthority isplanningdustsuppressionprojects infutureyears.Approximately30acreswillcontinuetohaveemulsifiedasphaltsprayedfollowingthisinitialeffort.BROADWAYSECONDMAINTRACKPROJECT

AccesstotheentirerailnetworkservingthesouthsideoftheHoustonShipChannel(HSC)isconstrainedby a short, but critical bottleneck segment of single track. Port of Houston Authority owns the tracksegment,whichisoperatedbyPortTerminalRailroadAssociation(PTRA).AlltrainsservingtheindustrialandportfacilitiesonthesouthsideoftheHSCmustoperateoverthis0.28‐milesegmentofsingletrack,whichincludesasingle‐trackbridgeoverBroadwayStreetToremedythis,theconstructionofasecondmaintrackthroughthisbottlenecksegmentisneededandPHAwassuccessful ingettingthisproject intotheH‐GACTransportationImprovementProgram(TIP).Havingtwomaintracksonthissegmentwouldreducedelaystotrainsawaitingclearancetoenterontothesingletrack,improvingtheflowofcargoestoandfromindustrialandportfacilitiesandreducingemissions.Thesingletracksegmentalreadyisoperatingaboveitsoriginaldesigncapacitywhichiscausing21/2hoursoftraindelayperday,andwillbecometotallyconstrainedin2018.Theadditionalcapacityprovidedbyasecondmaintrackwouldbesufficienttohandleanticipatedvolumegrowthforthenextthirtyyears.

NATURALGAS

PHAplanstohaveanaturalgasstationbuiltnearitsBayportContainerterminalthatwouldbeavailablefortrucksvisitingtheterminalaswellanyothernearbyfleet.Trucksthatusenaturalgasproducesexhaustthatislesspollutinginparticulatematterthantrucksthatusediesel.Furthermore,PHAwillbeworkingwithCenterPointEnergyona feasibilitystudy forconvertingdieselpoweredterminaltractorstonaturalgas.

BARBOURSCUTANDBAYPORTEXTENDEDGATEHOURS

Torespondtotheincreasesresinproductionthatwillcomeonlinein2017thatwillbeexportedthroughthePortofHouston,PHAplanstoextendgatehoursatitsBayportandBarboursCutcontainerterminals.Thiswillhelpreduceanypotentialcongestionfromtheexpectedincreasedtrafficaswellasallowothercontainertrucktraffictheavailabilitytocomeatnightandnotcontributetopeaktrafficduringtheday.

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OTHERREGIONALPORTPROJECTS

OVERWEIGHTCONTAINERROUTEBETWEENHGBREGIONPORTS

Anoverweightordedicatedtruckroutecanimproveemissionsbyreducingstopandgoemissionsandreducingthenumberoftrucktrips.Thispotentialfuturemeasurecouldcreatededicatedroutesabletoallowoverweighttrucks.Dedicatedroutescouldprovideabenefitwithoutanoverweightallowancebysmoothingthetrafficflow.Inothertransportationmeasures,suchastrafficsignalimprovements,trafficflowimprovementshavebeenshowntoreduceemissionsratesby5to10percentforregionalfleets.Therelativebenefitmaybehigherwithheavy‐dutytrucksthanforlight‐dutyvehiclesbecausebraking,idling,andaccelerationarehighemissionsmodesfortrucks.Overall emission reductionswill alsodependon thededicated truck routes and theexpectedusageofroutes.Otherconsiderationsincludewhetherinfrastructurecostsareincurredtoallowoverweighttrucks,creategradeseparation,orovercomeobstaclestoallowsuchtrucksroutestobeconstructed.

RAILROADPROJECTS

REPLACEMENTOFRAILROADSWITCHERENGINES

IntheHoustonarea,therehasbeendiscussionregardingapotentialfuturerailroaddemonstrationprojectinvolvingthereplacementoftraditionalswitcherengineswithnaturalgaspoweredengines.PoweringlonghaullocomotiveswithLNGwouldresultinPMreductionbenefitsfortheHGBregion.

REGULATORYPROJECTS

TIER3MOTORVEHICLEFUELANDEMISSIONSTANDARDS

The Tier 3 emission standards include a lower PM emission standard for light‐duty gasoline vehiclesbeginningin2017andphasinginthrough2025.Thismeansthatinadditiontothe2007PMstandardsforheavy‐dutydieselthatisreducingPMemissionsinthenearterm,asthefleetturnsover,on‐roadvehiclePMemissionswillcontinuetodecreaseinthefuture.ThetablebelowshowstheeffectofTier3emissionstandardsinyears2018and2030.

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ComparisonofEmissionReductionsfromOn‐RoadInventories25

2018 2030

Pollutant NationalInventoryReduction

AirQualityInventoryReduction

NationalInventoryReduction

AirQualityInventoryReduction

PM2.5 ‐0.1% ‐0.4% ‐10.0% ‐10.4%

NOx ‐9.6% ‐9.9% ‐24.6% ‐25.5%

VOC ‐2.8% ‐2.4% ‐15.5% ‐14.4%

CO ‐1.6% ‐1.6% ‐23.4% ‐25.3%

SO2 ‐56.3% ‐55.9% ‐55.7% ‐55.0%

CONCLUSION

H‐GAC’sparticipation inPMAdvancehasbeen,andcontinues tobe, a successfulexampleofvoluntarycollaborationbetween local government, business, industry, citizens, andenvironmental groups inourregion.Inthepast,theHGBregionhasfacedpotentialnonattainmentdesignationsforPM.Sincethattime,ourregionhasmadesignificantimprovementsandsuccessfullyavoidednonattainmentstatusin2015.

This Path Forward document continues a framework for the region to continue to meet air qualitystandardsandachievetheProgrammissiontoencouragevoluntaryacceleratedimplementationofcurrentcleanairstrategiesandprograms.Ourregionneeds tocontinue tocollectivelyworktogether tobetterunderstandPM.Futuregrowthwillinevitablyimpactparticulatematteremissionsinourregion—whetherduetopopulation,industryoreconomicgrowth.Throughthisprogram,wewillcontinuetoworktogethertounderstandregionalPMemissionsandmeetourairqualityandattainmentgoals.

25http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm