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AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS – Part 1

AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS – Part 1. Objectives. Air Quality Regulations in U.S. What are Air Quality Standards? What is a PSD program? Discuss various Clean Air Act amendments. How is emission trading used to manage air quality? What is ISO14000?. Air Pollution.

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AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS – Part 1

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  1. AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS – Part 1

  2. Objectives • Air Quality Regulations in U.S. • What are Air Quality Standards? • What is a PSD program? • Discuss various Clean Air Act amendments. • How is emission trading used to manage air quality? • What is ISO14000?

  3. Air Pollution • A threat to the ecosystem in recent years. • Global problem affecting human beings, trees, lakes, crops, and animals. • Damages ozone layer. • Creates acid rain. • The effects are diverse and numerous.

  4. Water Pollution • Contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and ground water. • Problems are more noticeable and immediate in their effect. • Often recognized before it reaches crisis proportions. • Public complaints are immediate.

  5. Why Air Pollution Laws Were Not Developed? Serious health related problems take a long time to show up as a result of exposure to air pollutants. Therefore, public may not appreciate the importance of air pollution laws. Often disregarded as a health and safety issue.

  6. GOALS OF AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS • Protect and enhance air quality. • Protect and promote human health and public welfare. • Air pollution control at state and local level. • Reduce the most significant risks to human health or the environment. • Determine risk-based priorities.

  7. Essential Items Human Effort Money Technical Knowledge

  8. History of Air Quality Regulations • Prior to 1940: Very little by way of formal regulations. Air Pollution Control Ordinance (around 1815) • 1940 - 1955: Initiation of practical efforts in the US as a result of LA type fog • 1955 -1990: Development, Implementation, and Modification of Regulations • 2001 onwards: New approaches to apply standards, Review of standards Note : Before passage of 1970 Clean Air Amendments, Air Pollution Laws were sometimes similar to Water Pollution Laws

  9. History of Air Quality Regulations 1955 : Research for scope and sources of air pollution 1963: Research for techniques to minimize air pollution 1970: Regulated emissions from stationary and mobile sources 1977: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) of air quality for non-attainment areas 1990: Control of Acid Deposition

  10. History of Air Quality Regulations • 2003: Modern pollution-control equipment for power plants built before 1977 • 2004: Reducing pollutants emitted by diesel-powered equipment • 2005: NOx emission standard for aircraft engines • 2007: Benzene control technologies for refineries • 2009: Reporting of GHG emissions from all the sectors

  11. Role of Business Cycle in Regulations The US is moving from a “manufacturing industry” to a “service industry” with an emphasis on “recreational” type of activities. Conventional pollutants during early phase (visible emissions) Toxic pollutants (invisible pollutants) after Bhopal accident Small sources, non-point sources (area sources, fugitive emissions) Global problems (GHGs, Climate change)

  12. Federal Regulations on Air Pollution

  13. Types of Laws • Common: The body of law that has grown out of common tradition and usage, as stated in court decisions - usually concerns private rights. • Statute: The body of law that has been passed by legislators (e.g: US Congress) and stated in formal documents - usually concerns rights of general public. Statute laws usually do not take away a citizen's right to sue

  14. Other Legal Terms • Tort : A willful or negligent injury to a person, property, or reputation • Nuisance : Unlawful invasion of a possessor's interest in the reasonable use and enjoyment of property • Private Nuisance: • Only the plaintiff or a small, well defined class of plaintiffs are affected • Plaintiff(s) could take action • Public Nuisance • Many people in the community are affected • Only government could take action

  15. Management of Air Quality • Emission Standards • Air Quality Standards • Pollution Taxes • Cost-Benefit Analysis • Risk Standards Based on Pollution

  16. Emission Standards • Emission Standards: limit the amount or concentration of a contaminant that may be emitted from a source. • Visible emission standards. • Particulate emission standards. • Particulate process weight (or mass) standards. • Gas concentration standards. • Prohibition of emissions. • Regulation of fuel. • Zoning restrictions. • Dispersion based standards.

  17. Emission Standards for On-Road Diesel Engines [Source: Diesel.net (http://www.dieselnet.com)]

  18. Emission Standards for On-Road Diesel Engines California Emission Standards for Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines [Source: Diesel.net (http://www.dieselnet.com)]

  19. Emission Standards for Non-Road Diesel Engines

  20. Standards for Stationary Sources

  21. Performance Standards for Fossil Fuels

  22. Standards for Municipal Waste Combustors

  23. Standards for Particulate Emissions

  24. Emission Factors for Coal Combustion

  25. Air Quality Standards • Air Quality Standards: Prescribe the pollutant levels that cannot be legally exceeded during a specific time period in a specific geographic region • 1970 : • Primary Standards • Protection of public health (to be achieved regardless of cost and within the specified time limit) • Secondary Standards • To protect public from known and anticipated adverse effects • Time schedule to be determined by state and local governments

  26. National Ambient Air Quality Standards EPA (Source: USEPA)

  27. National Ambient Air Quality Standards

  28. Pollution Taxes • Used in the US on a limited scale • Home energy efficiency improvement tax credits • Windows and Doors • Insulation • Roofs • Heating and cooling equipments • Residential renewable energy tax credits • Solar energy systems (solar water heating and solar electric systems) • Small wind systems • Geothermal heat pumps • Residential fuel cell and Microturbine systems • Automobile tax credits • Hybrid Gas-Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicles • Plug-In Electric Vehicles • Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Kits • Low Speed & 2-3 Wheeled Vehicles

  29. Cost-Benefit Analysis • Economic evaluation of health and environmental interventions is important • Quantification of impacts for health, crops, materials, social and economic factors • Compare the effectiveness of one intervention against another • Help policy makers allocate limited budget • Demonstrates economic return of investments

  30. Cost-Benefit Analysis • Direct impacts • Tropospheric ozone formation that effects: • Public health • Crops • Materials • Ecosystems • Health impacts from primary and secondary pollutants • Ecosystem acidification • Damage to building and other materials

  31. Cost-Benefit Analysis • Indirect impacts • Changes in GHG emissions with controlled pollutant levels • Social and economic effects from impacts and measures recommended for their control

  32. Cost-Benefit Analysis Source: Lewis J. Perl and Frederick C. Dunbar “Cost Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Air Quality Regulations”, Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association1982, Vol. 72, No. 2.

  33. Cost-Benefit Analysis Source: Lewis J. Perl and Frederick C. Dunbar “Cost Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Air Quality Regulations”, Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association1982, Vol. 72, No. 2.

  34. Risk Standards Based on Pollution • The standards are established based on: • Potential public health impact • Health hazard (chronic toxicity) and dose response information of a chemical Risk Standards of Chemicals

  35. Risk Standards Based on Pollution Risk Standards of Chemicals

  36. Clean Air Act amendments of 1970 • To protect human health and the air environment • To establish a national research and development program to prevent and to control air pollution • To provide federal assistance and leadership to state and local governments for air pollution programs • To develop specific standards for hazardous air pollutants

  37. Clean Air Act amendments of 1970 • Important legal event in the US federal air pollution control field • Creation of Environmental Protection Agency Policy

  38. Problem • A power plant stack gas (SO2) at 440°C contains 2200 ppm. If the volume rate of gas emitted is 15000 m3/min. What is the SO2 emission rate in kg/sec? The stack pressure is 1.0 bar.

  39. Solution • Step1: Calculate density P = ρRT ρ = {P/RT} Sp. Vol. α = {RT/P} = 0.926 m3/kg • Step2: Calculate volume Vol. of SO2 emitted = {15000/60}(m3/sec)*2200*10-6 = 0.55 m3/sec • Step3: Mass rate of emission = Density * Volume =(0.55/α) = (vol. of SO2 /α) = 0.55/0.926 = 0.594 kg/sec

  40. Air Quality Criteria • Expressions of the latest scientific knowledge based on the knowledge of experts. • Describe the effects that can be expected to occur beyond "excedence" pollutant level for a specified time period. • Miscellaneous • Exposure • Combination of pollutants etc

  41. Case for National Standards • Unfair economic advantages (by state) • Competition for lower standards. • Federal Standards for : • automobiles • aircraft • industries supplying basic needs • "New Source " performance standards • Initial NSPS issued on December 23, 1971 • Steam Generators • Portland Cement Plants • Incinerators • Nitric acid and H2SO4 plants

  42. Air Quality Control Regions AQCRs were developed in 1967. Basis: Common meteorology, topography, and climate Ohio is divided in 14 AQCRs Toledo: 124 AQCR; Lucas and Wood counties

  43. Air Quality Control Regions in Ohio

  44. Air Quality Control Regions in New Mexico

  45. 1973: Sierra Club vs. Ruckelshaus As a result of the Sierra Club case, the USEPA had to disapprove all implementation plans for not containing provisions for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration of existing air quality.

  46. Prevention Of Significant Deterioration • Applies to new or modified sources constructed after March 19,1979. • Potential emissions of 100 tons/year of any single pollutant, or a combined total of 250 tons/year of all pollutants. • Best available control technology (BACT) applies to all sources covered. • In regions where ambient air quality standards are not being met, a new source is required to provide “Emission Offsets”.

  47. Prevention Of Significant Deterioration • Class I:This class covers pristine areas of the country and no change from current air quality will be allowed • Class II:Almost all other areas where moderate change in air quality will be allowed • Class III:Industrialized areas where substantial growth will be allowed, and where the increase in concentration of pollutants up to the federal standards will be insignificant

  48. PSD Increments

  49. Application of The PSD Increment

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