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WESTAR 2002 Fall Technical Conference. Regional Haze Rule SIP Template. Clean Air Corridors Section 51.309(d)(3) Brian Finneran - Oregon DEQ. N. W. E. S. What’s the Clean Air Corridor?. Region that contributes clean air…. clean air. 16 Class I Areas.
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WESTAR 2002 Fall Technical Conference Regional Haze RuleSIP Template Clean Air Corridors Section 51.309(d)(3) Brian Finneran - Oregon DEQ
N W E S What’s the Clean Air Corridor? Region that contributes clean air… clean air 16 Class I Areas …to the 16 Class I Areas of the Colorado Plateau
309 States in the Clean Air Corridor OR ID NV UT
How were the CAC’s identified? • 1995 Report of the GCVTC Meteorological Subcommittee identified “clean air influence areas” (eastern OR, southwest ID, most of NV, and southern UT) that supplied 20% best visibility to 16 Class I areas. • Met Subcommittee studied 6 different CACs & the level of visibility protection provided by each. • 1995 BBC Report picked 1 “intermediate” size CAC that protected 30% best days and refined the boundary.
GCVTC Recommendations on CACs • CAC emissions growth not expected to have perceptible effect on visibility in 16 Class I areas thru 2040. • No regulatory programs needed for CACs - just regional emissions tracking to ensure frequency of clear days does not decline. • Identify patterns of emissions growth inside & outside the CAC that could have a negative impact on visibility.
Clean Air Corridor Requirement Section 309(d)(3): “The plan must describe and provide for implementation of comprehensive emission tracking strategies for clean-air corridors to ensure that the visibility does not degrade on the least-impaired days at any of the 16 Class I areas.”
The 5 CAC requirements in Sec. 309 • Adopt a Comprehensive Emissions Tracking program. • Identify the boundary of the CAC in your state. • Identify patterns of growth that could cause significant emissions increases resulting in visibility impairment in 16 Class I areas. • Identify any significant emissions growth outside the CAC that could impair the CAC and lead to visibility impairment in 16 Class I areas. • Determine if any other CAC’s exist.
Related CAC requirements • If impairment is found (#3 and #4): • analyze effects of increased emissions; • determine need for any additional emission reduction measures; • Implement these measures if needed. • If “other CAC” are found (#5), identify if measures are needed to protect them.
Issues identified in CAC Template • How do States identify boundaries of CAC? • What constitutes “significant emissions growth” inside the CAC? • How do States identify significant emissions increase outside the CAC & how much impairment in the CAC would trigger some action by the State? • What criteria does the State use for adopting additional measures if impairment is found? • How to determine if “other CACs” exist?
How Template Issues were resolved • Dec 2001 IOC Work Group formed to address CAC issues for 309 SIP submittal. Preliminary recommendations are: • Use the CAC boundary in the BBC Report • Use 25% emissions increase as “significant”, based on GCVTC findings. • Emission projections (2018) of SO2, NOx, VOC & PM expected less than significant. • Track emissions every 5-yrs w/SIP updates. • No other CACs found.
Some CAC tasks that remain… • Is >25% significance level needed for CAC area closer to the Colorado Plateau? • WRAP still needs to complete Comprehensive Emissions Tracking Program for CAC States. • Figure out how to track “spillover” emissions from outside” the CAC. • How to address emissions from Tribal lands inside and outside CACs. • Still need to develop criteria for how States identify add’l measures if impairment is found.