Air Quality Analysis for an International Border Crossing

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Air Quality Analysis for an International Border
Crossing

• June 29, 2004
• Jim Cramer
• FHWA Michigan Division

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Overview

• Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal (DIFT)
• Required analyses
• Air Toxics And PM2.5 Analyses
• International Border Crossing Study
• Background
• Study process
• Analysis protocol (a work in progress)

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DIFT Background

• 7 existing terminals
• 3 already combined
• 1 specialized (Mazda)
• Original Alternatives
• Do Nothing
• Combine 4 into 1 location
• Added Alternatives
• Improve 4 locations
• Combine 3 Exclude Moterm

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DIFT AQ Analysis

• Required Analyses On Road Only
• Conformity analysis for VOC, Nox CO
• Soon Conformity analysis for PM2.5
• Additional Analyses On Road On Site
• Corridor level emissions of
• PM2.5
• Diesel PM
• Speciated Air Toxics by source (Truck, Cargo
  equip.)

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Border Crossing AQ Analysis

• FHWA-MI position was that we would use the then
  agreed to DIFT protocol as the most that we would
  agree to on the border crossing study.
• That analysis was conformity for CO, VOC NOx
  with total emissions of PM2.5 and surrogate
  analysis for air toxics

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Regional Setting
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Detroit Crossings
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The Problem
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The Partnership

• The Canada-US-Ontario-Michigan Border
  Transportation Partnership includes
• Federal Highway Administration
• Transport Canada
• Ontario Ministry of Transportation
• Michigan Department of Transportation

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The Partnership

• Provides overall guidance
• Has nine specific objectives including
• Enhancing regional economic vitality
• Meeting needs of border inspection agencies
• Improving movement of people, goods and services
  across the US/Canadian border in a safe and
  efficient manner

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Environmental Objective

• Use a single integrated planning and
  environmental study process, resulting in a
  single product, which will meet the requirements
  of all members of the Partnership

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System Constraints

• All U.S. highway border crossing processing
  points will be at or near capacity within 5 years
• Canadian highway border crossing processing in
  Windsor will be at or near capacity within 5 years

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System Constraints cont.

• Canadian side highway connections will be at or
  near capacity within 5 years
• Detroit connections to the tunnel will be at or
  near capacity within 5 years

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Environmental Processes

• US Canadian processes are more similar than
  different
• Both are highly structured processes
• Canada structure more related to timing
• US structure more related to process
• Canada more major studies
• US fewer but broader in scope

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Environmental Processes

• Apparent Differences
• US Variance from process Lawsuit
• Canada Disputes likely to be mediated
• US Stronger control at FHWA
• Canada More authority at Environment Canada

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Air Quality Task Force

• Develop an air quality analysis protocol that
• Fulfills the objective of one process
• Meets the needs of all agencies
• Meets the requirements in both countries
• Formed in December of 2003
• Meeting by telephone conference calls

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Air Quality Task Force

• Membership includes
• Transport Canada
• Health Canada
• Environment Canada
• Federal Highway Administration
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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Air Quality Task Force

• Membership (continued)
• Ministry of Transport Ontario
• Ontario Ministry of the Environment
• Michigan Department of Transportation
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
• Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
• URS Corp. and The Corradino Group

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Air Quality Assessment Work Plan

• Three Objectives
• To provide a basis for comparing alternative
  roadway routes in terms of their impacts on
  regional air quality
• To assess the local impacts to air quality
  conditions based upon the comparison of
  future-year pollutant concentrations to
  applicable standards -

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Air Quality Assessment Work Plan

• Three Objectives (continued)
• To identify any mitigation measures that are
  necessary to gain regulatory and public approval
  for the project
• Major assumption
• All build alternatives will address all the
  components of the system that cause delay. (The
  backups on Huron Church will be eliminated)

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Air Quality Assessment Work Plan

• Methodology includes
• Review of Bi-Lateral Agreements
• Air Quality Data Standards
• Emissions Burden Analysis -
• Dispersion Modeling -
• Mitigation
• Overall Qualitative Assessment

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Air Quality Assessment Work Plan

• Still a Work in Progress
• Final Agreements have not been reached on the
  level and detail of the air quality analysis to
  be performed
• The Partnership has decided that separate
  environmental studies will be conducted in the
  U.S. and Canada