Understanding Ozone in the Tri-Cities: History, Sources, and Solutions

1. Ozone in the Tri Cities August 2018

2. Smog – Ground Level Ozone

3. Ozone in the Tri Cities - a brief history: • 2013 – AirPact (model) showed potential for high ozone in Kennewick • 2014 – Temporary Monitor on Kellogg; mobile monitoring • 2015 – Permanent Monitor installed at BCAA offices; additional mobile monitoring • 2015 – National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ozone reduced to 70 ppb from 75 ppb • 2016 – Precursor Study • 2017 – Precursor Study Completed; Kennewick ozone values continue to be of concern • 2018 – Community outreach

4. Areas of the country projected to have ozone issues: The Tri Cities is not on this map!

5. Local geography is part of the situation:

6. Area of interest: Franklin County • Dept. of Ecology • Nuclear Program • Industrial Unit • Eastern Regional Office Benton County Walla Walla County Benton Clean Air Agency

7. Where does Ozone come from?

8. Sources of NOx

9. Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds

11. August 13, 2015 (77 ppb)

15. Average of three years’ fourth highest 8-hour daily average

17. Ozone Design Value • Federal standards require the O3 “Design Value” to be less than 70ppb. • DV calculated as the average of the annual fourth highest maximumdaily 8-hour average(MDA8).

19. When does O3 build up? • Almost guaranteed in right conditions • Light north winds on hot days • Suggest constant & not sporadic precursor sources • Northerly flow dams up against Horse Heaven Hills, allowing O3 to “cook”

20. Whodunnit? • Tri Cities Ozone Precursor Study (TCOPS) • StoryMap http://www.ecology.wa.gov/Research-Data/Scientific-reports/Air-quality-studies

21. How do you know vehicles contribute? • Emissions inventory • TCOPS: NOx spikes coincide with rush hour • Weekday/ weekend effect • ~ 17% reduction in NOx and VOC emissions • Almost entirely driven by mobile sources • Weekend O3 ~ 3.5ppb less under similar conditions

22. Main TCOPS findings • No single “smoking gun”. • Airshed not VOC or NOx limited. • Moderate NOx and VOC cuts for now • Very crudeestimate: 30% reduction  -5ppb O3. • Modeling study needed to nail down specifics.

23. Timeline

24. Affected Communities

25. Benton Clean Air Agency 526 South Steptoe Street Kennewick, WA 99336 509-783-1304 www.bentoncleanair.org Robin Bresley Priddy, PE

26. Non Attainment New Source Review • Would apply to new or reconstructed sources of NOx and VOC • Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate (LAER) • The term "lowest achievable emission rate" means for any source, that rate of emissions which reflects: • the most stringent emission limitation which is contained in the implementation plan of any State for such class or category of source, unless the owner or operator of the proposed source demonstrates that such limitations are not achievable, or • the most stringent emission limitation which is achieved in practice by such class or category of source, whichever is more stringent.  • Best Available Control Technology (BACT) is the current standard – it is much more flexible • Result of structured analysis on a case by case basis • Energy consumption, total source emission, regional environmental impact, and economic costs are taken into account.