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Establishing Environmental Standards

Establishing Environmental Standards. Why Study Standards?. Key numerical measure or practice that says we have a clean environment Protect public health, environment Tool against which success of environmental programs are measured

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Establishing Environmental Standards

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  1. Establishing Environmental Standards

  2. Why Study Standards? • Key numerical measure or practice that says we have a clean environment • Protect public health, environment • Tool against which success of environmental programs are measured • Impact whether, and how, facilities and land areas are regulated • Periodic revisions force regulations to stay current with new information, science, technology

  3. Types of Standards • Technology Based/Action Driven • Concentration Based/Risk Driven • Location Based

  4. Technology Based • Clean Water Act • Best Practicable Control Technology (existing water sources), Best Available Control Technology, New Source Performance Standards • Applicability depends on type of source, nature of pollutants • Clean Air Act • New Source Performance Standards - Best Achievable Control Technology - Lowest Achievable Emission Rate • Considerations such as economics, other environmental impacts, technical feasibility

  5. Concentration Based Standards • Drinking Water • Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) • Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) • National Drinking Water Standard • Air • National Ambient Air Quality Standards • Clean Water Act • Water Quality Criteria • Water Quality Standards (Use Dependent)

  6. NAAQS • Clean Air Act established two types • Primary standards - protect public health, including "sensitive" populations • Secondary standards set limits to protect public welfare: decreased visibility, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.

  7. At Risk Populations • 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 lb. • Bodies still developing

  8. Example Health Effects - PM 2.5 • 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

  9. Air Quality Trends • Puget Sound • National

  10. Water Quality Standards • Categories of Chemical Covered • Conventional Pollutants • Non-conventional Pollutants • Priority Pollutants (Toxicity) • Water Quality Criteria • Aquatic, Human Health Criteria • Biological Criteria, Sediment Criteria • Water Quality Standards • Use Dependent • Vary by State

  11. Fish and shellfish rearing; Spawning and harvesting; Swimming; Boating; Navigation; Irrigation; Wildlife habitat; Domestic, industrial, and agricultural water supply. WA Beneficial Uses

  12. Reporting on Water Quality • States submit every 2 years • 305(b) water quality inventory report • Use support status of assessed waters • Causes and sources contributing to impairments • 303(d) list of waters needing TMDL • Impaired & threatened waters • Impaired by pollutants

  13. Findings of 2004 State 305b Reports

  14. Drinking Water Standards • Pollutants/Contaminants Regulated • Microorganisms, Disinfectants & Disinfectant Byproducts, Inorganic Chemicals, Organic Chemicals, Radionuclides • Lists available at: • http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html

  15. Considerations for Drinking Water Standards • Health effects • Occurrence and exposure • Treatment technology • Monitoring methods • Economic impacts on water systems • Cost-benefit

  16. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) “… is the maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water at which no known or anticipated adverse health effects occur, allowing for an adequate margin of safety.” (EPA, 2003) Non-enforceable health goal

  17. DW Standards and Sensitive Populations • Children / infants • Higher exposures (greater intake per body weight) • Critical neurological developments • Lower detoxification efficiency • Pregnant and lactating women • Critical development of the fetus/infant • Exposure to infants • Reproductive impacts

  18. Sensitive Populations (con’t) • Elderly: poor health, nutritional status, damaged organ systems • Other groups • Genetic predispositions • Less ability to detoxify chemicals • Diseases involving liver, kidney etc. • More difficult to detoxify, excrete • Organs at higher risk of damage

  19. Step 1 - Set MCLGs

  20. Next - Setting the MCL and DW Standard MCLG Lab method precision Affordable treatmenttechnology Proposed MCL or TT Cost-benefit analysis Modified MCL = Drinking Water Standard

  21. Primary Considerations for DW Standards • Best available treatment technologies • Economically and technologically feasible to analyze Practical quantitation limit (PQL) • Cost for large systems

  22. Arsenic • Known carcinogen MCLG = 0 • Treatment feasibility, Proposed Analytical capability MCL=3 g/l • Cost-benefit analysis MCL=10 g/l

  23. Comparing MCLGs and MCLs MCL = MCLG: 45 contaminants MCL > MCLG: 40 contaminants • MCLG=0 for 37 of these

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