Air Quality Planning, Metro. Washington, DCMDVA

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Air Quality Planning,Metro. Washington, DC-MD-VA

• Joan Rohlfs, Chief,
• Air Quality Planning
• Metropolitan Washington COG
• October 27, 2005

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Overview

• Background Clean Air Act, Definitions
• Health effects, Causes of Pollution
• Plan to Improve the Air (SIP)
• Air Quality and Transportation Conformity
• Planning for New Ozone Standard

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Clean Air Act Amendments 1990

• EPA set federal health standards for ambient
  pollutants

CO
SO2
NOx
Ozone
ParticulateMatter
Lead
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Clean Air Act Amendments 1990

• CAAA classifies areas that do not meet the
  federal health standard as nonattainment
  areas-In 1991 Washington,D.C. region was
  designated a serious ozone nonattainment area
  2003 reclassified as severe.
• 2004 Washington region designated moderate
  nonattainment for 8-hr ozone
• 2005 Washington region designated nonattainment
  for fine particles

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Washington Region Designations
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AIR QUALITY INDEX
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Health Effects Causes
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(No Transcript)
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How is Ground-Level Ozone Formed?
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Plan to Improve the Air
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Metropolitan Washington DC-MD-VA Region 8-Hour
Ozone Moderate Nonattainment Area
District of Columbia Suburban Maryland
(Montgomery, Prince Georges, Frederick, Charles,
Calvert Counties)
Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince
William Counties, City of Alexandria)
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Metropolitan Washington DC-MD-VA Region
Fine Particle Nonattainment Area
District of Columbia Suburban Maryland
(Montgomery, Prince Georges, Frederick, Charles
Counties)
Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince
William Counties, City of Alexandria
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Challenge New Ozone Standard
2010

• 19 exceedances in 2005
• (Code Orange)
• EPA modeling for the Clean Air Interstate Rule
  (CAIR) shows the Washington region not meeting
  the 2010 deadline for ozone.
• New control measures are needed to meet the new
  standard.

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Requirements for NAA

• Develop State Implementation Plan (SIP)
  containing measures to reduce emissions
• Federal, state and local reductions measures
• Conduct transportation conformity analysis
  whenever new TIP is proposed

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Air Quality Plan (SIP)

• A plan containing an emissions goal to improve
  air quality by a deadline established by the
  Clean Air Act
• The plan contains federal, state, and local
  measures to reduce air pollution

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DC-MD-VA Air Quality Plan (SIP) Scope

• Commits to meet the ozone standard by the year
  2009
• Identifies control measures to be taken to reduce
  pollution created locally
• Identifies measures to reduce air pollution
  transported from our region into other states
• Sets a mobile emissions budget

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CAAA Required Measures to Clean the Air

• Enhanced automobile inspection and maintenance
  testing program (I/M)
• Gasoline vapor recovery systems at gas stations
• Reasonably available control technology on major
  sources of NOx and VOCs
• New source permitting with lowest achievable
  emission rate and offsets for new and expanded
  sources

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SIP Components
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Control Measures in SIP

• Mandatory Measures (Regulations)
• Voluntary Measures
• Reformulated paints and solvents
• Gas can replacement programs
• AFV purchases, wind energy purchase, green roofs,
  tree canopy

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Voluntary Bundle

• Reductions Credited
• Low-VOC Consumer Products
• Wind Power Purchase
• Gas Can Replacement
• Use of Low-VOC Paint
• Reduce Locomotive Idling
• Included, But No Credit Taken
• Alternative Fueled Vehicle Purchase
• Remote Sensing Device
• Diesel Retrofits (School and Transit Buses)

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EPA Voluntary Measure Guidance
Enables states to place non-regulatory pollution
control strategies in a SIP

• States take credit for voluntary programs
  reducing future emissions.

• Local programs rely on the actions of
  individuals, businesses, governments, agencies

• States must backfill shortfalls in a timely
  manner (allows for program substitution)

• Measures are enforced against the states.

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Types of Voluntary Measures
Episodic Measures Reduce emissions on Ozone
Action Days
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Examples of Voluntary Measures
Episodic Measures
Non-Episodic Measures

• Lock Fuel Pumps
• Telework
• No lawn mowing

• Replace gas cans
• Buy low-VOC paint
• Retrofit diesel vehicles

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Commitment Requirements
Agree to monitor program and provide annual
reports on program participation/effectiveness
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Control Measure Process

• Master List of measures (200)
• Priority List of measures
• Voluntary Bundle (local measures)
• Analysis (benefit, cost effectiveness,
  timeliness)
• Public Meetings on control strategies
  (Jan-March)

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Washington Region SIP Deadlines
Apr 08
2010
Jan 04
Apr 05
June 07
Sept 06
Attainment Date

CAIR SIP DUE
PM2.5 NAA Designation
Ozone SIP DUE
8-Hr Ozone NAA Designation
PM 2.5 SIP DUE
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Next Steps

• Complete Attainment Modeling Winter 2005
• Introduce New Legislation and Regulations
  Winter/Spring 2006
• Complete SIP Fall/Winter 2006

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For Further Information

• http//mwcog.org/environment/air
• http//www.deq.state.va.us/
• http//www.mde.state.md.us/
• http//www.airquality.dc.gov
• AIRNOW.ORG
• AIR-WATCH.ORG