Public Meeting to Receive Comments on NC’s Potential Recommendation
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Transcript of Public Meeting to Receive Comments on NC’s Potential Recommendation
Public Meeting to Receive Public Meeting to Receive Comments on NC’s Comments on NC’s
Potential RecommendationPotential Recommendation
Designations for PMDesignations for PM2.5 2.5 in North Carolinain North CarolinaDesignations for PMDesignations for PM2.5 2.5 in North Carolinain North Carolina
What are Designations?
• Federal Action under the Clean Air Act• In Code of Federal Regulations, CFR• Based on Measured Air Quality Levels;
Non-Attainment - Areas Exceeding Federal Ambient Air Quality Standards
Which Air Pollutants are Involved?
• Ground Level Ozone, 8 - Hour Average–Designation Recommendations Due
July 15, 2003
• Fine Particle, PM 2.5
–Designation Recommendations Due February 15, 2004
• Today’s meeting is focused on PM2.5
Human Hair (70 µm diameter)
Hair cross section (70 m)
PM2.5
(2.5 µm)PM10
(10µm)
M. Lipsett, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets
Particulate Matter: What is It?
Fine Particles: Why You Should Care
Public Health Risks Are Significant
Particles are linked to:• Premature death from heart and lung disease
• Aggravation of heart and lung diseases– Hospital admissions – Doctor and ER visits – Medication use– School and work absences
• And possibly to– Lung cancer deaths– Infant mortality– Developmental problems in children, such as low
birth weight
Particles Affect the Lungs and Heart
• Respiratory system effects– Chronic bronchitis– Asthma attacks– Respiratory symptoms (cough, wheezing, etc.)– Decreased lung function– Airway inflammation
• Cardiovascular system effects– Heart attacks– Cardiac arrhythmias– Changes in heart rate and heart rate variability– Blood component changes
Some Groups Are More at Risk
• People with heart or lung disease– Conditions make them
vulnerable
• Older adults – Greater prevalence of heart
and lung disease
• Children– More likely to be active
– Breathe more air per pound
– Bodies still developing
We Must Move Ahead
• Implementation of the fine particle standards is estimated to prevent:
– Thousands of premature deaths from heart and lung disease every year
– Tens of thousands of hospital admissions and emergency room visits
– Millions of school and work absences due to aggravated asthma and other lung and heart diseases
Primary Particles(Directly Emitted)
Secondary Particles(From Precursor Gases)
Elemental Carbon
OtherCrustal Ammonium
Nitrate
NOx
AmmoniumSulfate
SO2
SecondaryOrganics
VOC
Ammonia
Crustal
June 2000 / tgp
Condensed Organics
PM 2.5 In Ambient Air: A Complex Mixture
EPA’s Role: Protecting and Improving Air Quality
• EPA set national air quality standards for fine particles in 1997
– Annual std: 15 micrograms per cubic meter, averaged over 3 years
– 24-hour std: 65 micrograms per cubic meter, 98th percentile averaged over 3 years
• New standards withstood all legal challenges
• Moving forward now to implement standards
PM2.5 Standards Under Review
• Ongoing work to evaluate current standards
• Potential lowering of both annual and 24 hour average standard
• Potential new PM coarse standard
• Not likely to be issued for two years
• Today’s meeting is to focus on current standards
Average Annual PM2.5 ConcentrationsJuly 2000 – June 2003
Hickory Area Design Values
Charlotte Area Design Values
Triad Area Design Values
HickoryAIRS Code 370350004 POC 5 (ROUTINE)
Date(s): 1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003Average Concentration (16.3µg/m ³)
Nitrate
8%
S ulf ate
31%
Ammonium
10%
Organic carbon
29%
Elemental carbon
4%
C rustal component
3%
Other
15%
MillbrookAIRS Code 371830014 POC 5 (ROUTINE)
Date(s): 1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003Average Concentration (15.1µg/m ³)
Nitrate
7%
S ulf ate
28%
Ammonium
10%
Organic carbon
32%
Elemental carbon
4%
C rustal component
5%
Other
14%
NORTH CAROLINA PM 2.5 SPECIATION
Statewide Avg. Concentration 17.3 ug/m3 (224 samples)
1/3/2003 - 8/13/2003
7%
26%
9%
29%
3%
7%
19%
Nitrate
Sulfate
Ammonium
Organic carbon
Elemental carbon
Crustal component
Other
What is EPA’s Guidance?
• Any county with a violating PM2.5 monitor and nearby contributing areas need to be designated as non-attainment
• EPA recommends the full Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or CMSA serve as the presumptive boundary for PM2.5 non-attainment areas
• Whole counties• Match 8-Hour Ozone Boundaries
Factors to be Considered for Larger or Smaller than MSA
• Emissions and AQ in Adjacent Areas• Population Density • Monitoring Data• Location of Emissions Sources• Traffic and Commuting Patterns• Expected Growth• Meteorology
Factors to be Considered for Area Larger or Smaller than MSA
• Geography/Topography
• Jurisdictional Boundaries
• Level of Control of Emission Sources
• Regional Emission Reductions
Option E: Consideration of Spatial Averaging
• EPA allows establishment of Community Monitoring Zones (CMZ’s)
• NC has three CMZ’s – Buncombe County, Forsyth County, Mecklenburg County
• NC can use a spatial averaging technique in these CMZ’s
• If spatial averaging is used, then the monitors in Forsyth and Mecklenburg attain the PM2.5 annual NAAQS
Option E: Continued
• NC is taking comment on whether spatial averaging should be used
• The monitors in Forsyth and Mecklenburg Counties may attain by the end of the fourth quarter of 2003 without spatial averaging
• If they do not, however, spatial averaging is allowed and could show compliance with the standard
Reducing Fine Particles
• Approach must include national, regional and local strategies
• National efforts under way:– Existing programs such as Acid Rain program
and fuel sulfur limits– Rules not yet in effect, such as rule to control
emissions from non-road vehicles & equipment
• The Clear Skies Act• NOx/SO2 Transport Rule
What is NC doing to solve the air quality problems?
• Participation in the Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative
• Adoption of Clean Air Bill of 1999• Adoption of NOx SIP Call Rule• Adoption of Clean Smokestacks Act
– Encouraging neighboring States to adopt similar legislation
• Participation in Southeast’s Regional Haze Planning Organization (VISTAS)
Some Local Reduction Programs
• Opportunities to address PM-2.5 nonattainment
• Making vehicles cleaner
• Diesel engine retrofit programs
• Clean vehicle fleet programs
• Diesel idling, smoking cars reduction programs
• Reducing the impact of burning
• Wood stove retrofit incentives
• Open burning impact reduction
Review: Next Steps
• Public Meetings – December 2-4, 2003• Public Comment Period – December 31,
2003• Consider Comments• Consult with Other Departments• Send Draft Recommendation to Governor
– January 23, 2004• State Sends Recommendation to EPA –
February 15, 2004
How Do I Comment?
• E-mail:– [email protected]– Send e-mails by December 31, 2003
• Mail:– Sheila Holman– NC Division of Air Quality– 1641 Mail Service Center– Raleigh, NC 27699-1641– Send comments so that they are received
by December 31, 2003
2003:•Dec. Propose implementation rule
2004:•Feb. States/Tribes submit nonattainment
area recommendations•Spring Propose PM-2.5 transport rule•Dec. Finalize implementation rule•Dec. EPA designates nonattainment areas
2005:•Spring EPA finalizes PM2.5 transport rule
2007:•Dec. States/Tribes submit implementation
plans 2009:
•Dec. Attain standards
PM2.5 Implementation Timeline
For More Information:
• Visit our website:– Division of Air Quality – www.ncair.org
• e-mail; phone:– [email protected]; (919) 715-0587– [email protected]; (919) 715-0971– [email protected]; (704) 663-1699– [email protected]; (828) 251-6208– [email protected]; (336) 771-4600– Don Willard, [email protected]; (704) 336-
5500– Bob Fulp, [email protected]; (336) 727-8060