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Air Quality Beyond Ozone and PM2.5

Air Quality Beyond Ozone and PM2.5. Sheila Holman North Carolina Division of Air Quality 6 th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference June 15, 2012. Topics to be covered. Current Status for all Criteria Pollutants in North Carolina Air Toxics Mercury TMDL Greenhouse Gases

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Air Quality Beyond Ozone and PM2.5

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  1. Air Quality Beyond Ozone and PM2.5 Sheila Holman North Carolina Division of Air Quality 6th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference June 15, 2012

  2. Topics to be covered • Current Status for all Criteria Pollutants in North Carolina • Air Toxics • Mercury TMDL • Greenhouse Gases • Hydraulic Fracturing

  3. Current Schedule for NAAQS 3

  4. Duke and Progress Energy SO2 Emissions Note: Final 2013 SO2 reduction goal in Clean Smokestacks Act is 130,000 tons

  5. Duke and Progress Energy NOx Emissions Note: Final NOx reduction goal in Clean Smokestacks Act is 2009

  6. Lead Standard • On November 12, 2008, EPA strengthened the NAAQS for lead to 0.15 μg/m3 • This was a 90% reduction in the level of the previous standard of 1.5 μg/m3 • EPA has changed the lead monitoring network requirements to ensure monitors are assessing air quality in areas that might violate the new standard.

  7. Lead Standard • EPA designated areas in November 2011, with an effective date of Dec. 31, 2011 • All of NC was designated unclassifiable/attainment • Do not expect any impact on North Carolina’s current industry • Sources that emit ≥ 0.5 tons/year in the future may have to monitor for lead.

  8. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Standards • Primary Standard strengthened on January 22, 2010 • New 1-hour NO2 standard at 100 parts per billion (ppb); and • Retained the annual average NO2 standard of 53 ppb • Secondary Standard retained on March 21, 2012 • 53 ppb annual average

  9. NO2 Primary Standard • EPA designated areas in Feb. 2012, with effective date of Feb. 29, 2012 • All areas in NC designated unclassifiable/attainment at the township level • There may be another round of designations once there are 3 years of data from road-side monitors

  10. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Standards • Primary standard strengthened on June 2, 2010 • New 1-hour SO2 standard of 75 ppb • Revoked existing annual and 24-hour primary SO2 standards for areas currently attaining these standards • Secondary standard retained on March 21, 2012 • 500 ppb averaged over 3 hours

  11. SO2 Primary Standard • Current SO2 design values

  12. SO2 Primary Standard • NC recommendation submitted June 2011 • Requested a deferral until the end of 2012 • If deferral not granted then recommended a small area in New Hanover County be designated nonattainment

  13. SO2 Primary Standard

  14. SO2 Primary Standard • Designations on existing monitors was expected to be in June 2012 • April 2012 Letter from Assistant Administrator to Commissioners • EPA to proceed with designations based on existing data • EPA is re-thinking the implementation strategy • Held stakeholder meetings in late May/early June • Comment deadline June 22, 2012

  15. 1997 Ozone Standard • All areas in North Carolina are attaining the 1997 standard • NCDAQ submitted a redesignation request for the Charlotte/Gastonia region in November 2011 • Redesignation being held up until Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT) rule revised

  16. 2008 Ozone Standard • Primary and Secondary standards set at 75 ppb • Was under reconsideration, so implementation was delayed • Sept. 2011 it was decided not to reconsider the standard • EPA gave states the opportunity to revise their boundary recommendations that were submitted in 2009

  17. 2008 Ozone Standard • Only the Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury area violating the standard • Revised boundary recommendation submitted February 29, 2012 • EPA announced final boundaries in late April 2012.

  18. 2008 Ozone Standard

  19. CO Standard • August 2011 EPA retained the existing CO NAAQS • 1-hour standard of 35 ppm • 8-hour standard of 9 ppm. • NC has been attaining both standards since 1991

  20. PM2.5 Standards • Existing Standards • 1997 Annual standard 15 μg/m3 • 2006 24-hour standard 35 μg/m3 • NC attaining both standards • Both the Hickory & Triad areas were redesignated to attainment/ maintenance effective December 2011

  21. PM2.5 Standard • Standards being reviewed • Proposal signed June 14, 2012 • Expect final standard by December 14, 2012 • Final Risk Assessment released March 2010 • Considers revising annual standard between 10 – 13 μg/m3 • Considers revising daily standard between 25 – 35 μg/m3

  22. PM2.5 Standards • Based on 2009-2011 data • Daily standard design values • All below 25 μg/m3 • Annual standard design values • Highest value is 11.2 μg/m3 • Designations will be based on either 2011-2013 or 2012-2014 data

  23. 2009-2011 Annual PM2.5Design Values

  24. Air Toxics • Air Toxics Draft Legislation– Exemption of federally covered emission sources • Authorizes DENR to require a federally regulated source or facility to meet the requirements of the state air toxics program if DENR makes a written finding that a source or facility presents or will present an unacceptable risk to human health • DAQ to Study Rules

  25. Mercury TMDL Background Information • DWQ is working to establish a statewide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for mercury • DWQ determined that 98% of mercury in North Carolina waters comes from atmospheric deposition. • DAQ performed air quality modeling to determine what percent of the mercury deposition in North Carolina comes from North Carolina air emission sources

  26. 12-km Modeling Domain

  27. Air Quality Modeling Results • Zero out run indicated ~16% of the mercury deposition in North Carolina is coming from air emission sources in North Carolina • Clean boundary conditions indicate that 70% of the mercury deposition in North Carolina comes from outside of the 12-km modeling domain

  28. Expected Reductions in NC’s Mercury air Emissions Expected Reductions in North Carolina’s Total Mercury Air Emissions Expected Reductions in Deposition-Prone Mercury Air Emissions

  29. Greenhouse Gases • On February 28th and 29th, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals - D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments in legal challenges to EPA's Endangerment Finding and GHG regulations issued under the Clean Air Act for passenger vehicles and CAA permitting for stationary sources • Decision expected in next few weeks

  30. Hydraulic Fracturing • Study complete in May • Legislation to legalize hydraulic fracturing in NC under consideration in the short session • Air Quality Concerns • Impact on Ozone, PM2.5 and NO2 • Air Toxics issues

  31. Sheila Holman Director Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Air Quality Sheila.Holman@ncdenr.gov (919) 707-8730 Questions?

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