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6 th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference

6 th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference. June 15 th 2012. NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources. Breathe Better. Unifour Air Quality Conference. June 15 th 2012. What’s the problem ? Air Quality 101 Why do we care about air quality?. Breathe Better.

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6 th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference

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  1. 6th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference June 15th 2012

  2. NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources

  3. Breathe Better Unifour Air Quality Conference. June 15th 2012

  4. What’s the problem? • Air Quality 101 • Why do we care about air quality? Breathe Better What are we going to talk about today?

  5. What’s the problem? • State Issues: Ozone and Particle Pollution • SO2 in the Wilmington Area • Regional air quality issues and concerns • Attainment / Non- Attainment • Air quality standards change (more protective of our health) • Local air pollution • Pollution straight from the tailpipe into our lungs • Problems right here in the Unifour area

  6. Air Pollution 101 • In North Carolina, the main regional air pollutants of concern include … • Ozone (O3) • Particulate Matter (PM2.5) • How is Ozone formed 

  7. PM2.5 (2.5 µm) PM10 (10µm) Particle Pollution: What is it? µm = micrometer = one millionth of a meter Hair cross section (70 mm) Human Hair (70 µm diameter) M. Lipsett, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

  8. Examples of Particle Pollution Leaf, brush and garbage burning Woodstove & fireplace smoke Vehicle exhaust (especially diesel) Mountain “haze” Sulfate particles from coal-burning power plants Smoke from forest firesEvans Road Fire, eastern NC, 2008

  9. Improving Air Quality

  10. Where do pollutants come from? • Sources of Pollutants • Point (e.g., electric utilities, refineries, “smokestack” industries, etc.) • Area (e.g., dry cleaners, paints, solvents, etc.) • Mobile (e.g., cars, trucks, construction equipment, etc.) • On-Road (Cars, trucks, buses) • Non-Road (Airplanes, trains, construction equipment) • Biogenic (e.g., trees, vegetation, soils)

  11. Other Point Sources8% Area Sources11% Electric Power Plants16% On-road vehicles48% Off-road vehicles17% Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Light-Duty Vehicles46% Heavy-Duty Vehicles54% 2009 Data

  12. Why do we care?

  13. Air Pollution 101 • In addition to criteria pollutants problems (Ozone, PM, and SO2) any place in North Carolina can have local air quality problems. • Toxic chemicals and compounds directly from the tailpipe, or smoke stack, can have serious health implications in the immediate area surrounding the source.

  14. What can you do? Reduce pollution in your neighborhoods

  15. Idle Reduction • Simple, turn off your engine • Turn off your engine campaign signs • Control your parking lots / decks • Heavy duty idle restrictions

  16. Breathe, DON’T BURN • Open Burning • Almost 290 documented open burning violations happened in the Unifour during the past five years. • How many more were just not reported to DAQ? • Smoke from open burning harms public health and contributes to overall air quality degradation.

  17. 33 city / 41 highway Fuel Efficiency Ford Fiesta: 29/40

  18. Sometimes, do you feel like this?

  19. Carpooling / Vanpooling • www.Sharetheridenc.org • Create incentives for employees to form carpools / vanpools. • Promote going shopping with your next door neighbor. • Does your church encourage carpooling to church functions?

  20. Walking / Biking • Walkable communities • Health benefits • Lifestyle change

  21. Public Transit • Take the bus!

  22. Public Transit

  23. Milli Hayman Environmental Specialist II Jonathan Navarro Environmental Senior Specialist Keith Bamberger Information & Communication Specialist CONTACT INFO airawareness@ncdenr.gov 1-800-RU4NCAIR www.NCAIR.org 6th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference

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