Health Impacts of Air Pollution on Communities: Current Paradigms, Strengths and Limitations

1. CAPCOA Health Impacts of Air Pollution on Communities September 19-20, 2007 9:10 - 10:35 Current Paradigms: Strengths and Limitations -- 1. Source Category Regulations 2. Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Information and Assessment Act & Risk Reduction Program 3. New Source Review for Air Toxics Chris Halm (916) 323-4865 chalm@arb.ca.gov

2. Outline • AB 2588 Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Program • Overview • Health Risk Assessment (HARP) • Public Notification and Risk Reduction • Relationship to Statewide Regulations • Community Health Air Pollution Information System (CHAPIS) • Air Quality Maps (AQMIS) • Environmental Justice

3. AB 2588 Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Program • “Hot Spots” addresses health risk posed by air toxics from facility to nearby receptors • Applies to stationary sources like refineries, power plants, dry cleaners, and gas stations • Implemented by local air districts • ARB adopts emission inventory guidelines • OEHHA develops risk assessment guidelines

4. The “Hot Spots” Process • Local air district identifies facility as subject to “Hot Spots” • Facility estimates annual air toxic emissions • Local air district reviews emissions data • Facilities are prioritized into risk categories • Facility with potential risk conducts health risk assessment • District and OEHHA review risk assessment • Emissions and risk data sent to ARB

5. HARP: Risk Assessment Software

6. The Hotspots Analysis and Reporting Program (HARP) is a Tool to … • Create and manage facility emissions data • Perform air dispersion modeling and risk analyses • New On-RAMP allows AERMOD and CALPUFF dispersion modeling results to be used • Make reports and maps • And... it’s free!

7. HARP: Facility and Emissions Module

8. HARP: Risk Analysis Step-through

9. HARP: Risk Window and Map Risk contours show health risk posed by facility in community.

10. Public Notification and Risk Reduction • Facilities required to send letters notifying neighbors of significant risks • Most facilities voluntarily reduce risk to avoid public notification if at all possible • Facility has up to 5 years to reduce risk • Risk communication is very difficult • What does a risk of 10 per million mean?

11. Recent Amendments to “Hot Spots” • Risk from stationary diesel engine emissions now included in Program • Even after State regulation established hour limits for each engine, “Hot Spots” needed as a backstop to ensure residual risk from all engines at facility is acceptable • Portable diesel engines subject in 2010, but only if likely to pose a significant risk • New substances and health values added

12. Relationship Between “Hot Spots” and Statewide Regulations • AB 2588 was landmark right-to-know law • Lessons learned from “Hot Spots” used to develop statewide regulations (perc dry cleaners and chrome platers) • Statewide regulation usually more cost- effective than individual facility evaluations • Regulations able to address future risks from new sources

13. “Hot Spots” Can’t Do Everything • Cumulative risk from multiple facilities is not addressed • On-site mobile sources generally not included, but risk can be significant • Only requires risk reduction, not emission reductions • No neighbors... no significant risk... no controls required • Tall stack... toxics are diluted... fewer controls required ....Questions?

14. CHAPIS Emissions Maps AQMIS Air Quality Maps

15. CHAPIS (Community Health Air Pollution Information System) • Maps location of emissions sources • Includes mobile sources, consumer products, and industrial/commercial facilities • Multiyear effort, collaboration with districts

16. CHAPIS: Pick an Area of Interest – by Zip, County, Air District or Region

17. Pick a pollutant, then zoom in

18. ABC Company (12345) Hover over triangle - shows facility name

19. Link to ARB’s inventory for detailed emissions ABC COMPANY INC.

20. Compare Toxics with Other Facilities

21. Grids – combine mobile, areawide, and facility emissions

22. Summarize emissions ( graph and facility list ) ABCD Company GHT Company XYZ Company

23. CHAPIS has links to Air Monitoring Data

24. Air Quality and Meteorological Information System (AQMIS) • Provides “real time” and historical data from 200 ARB and district air monitoring sites • Key pollutants are ozone and particulate matter

25. AQMIS - Ozone and PM Trends

26. Ambient Air Toxic Trends

27. Environmental Justice

28. Environmental Justice • “Fair treatment of all people...” • ARB’s EJ Policies require EJ to be considered in all decisions • Next is Climate Change and EJ impacts • Focus on cumulative risk • Local land-use decisions always key factor

29. Multimedia Maps for Special Projects

30. Risk vs Distance

31. Links • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ab2588/9-19-07.ppt (today’s presentation) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/handbook.pdf (air quality handbook) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/ppgEnglish2005.pdf (public participation) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/programs/complaint.htm (complaint resolution) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/chapis1/chapis1.htm (emissions maps) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/harp/harp.htm (risk assessment software) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/public_participation.htm (public participation guidebook) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/aqd/aqdpage.htm (ambient toxics data) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ab2588/ab2588.htm (AB 2588 “Hot Spots”) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/app/emsinv/facinfo/facinfo.php (toxics data) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/app/emsinv/t25cat/display.php (top 25 sources) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/aqd/aqinfo.htm (air quality data) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/cti/hlthrisk/hlthrisk.htm (ASPEN maps) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/espanol.htm (Spanish docs) • http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/Draft_Wilmington_ChERRP_Multimedia_11_05.pdf (map)