An Overview of Air Pollution Issues

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1 An Overview of Air Pollution Issues Richard Valentinetti Vermont Agency Natural Resources 18 October 2007

2 Air Pollution Control In Vermont: Three Problems Criteria Air Pollutants 2. Air Toxics 3. Climate Change/ Greenhouse Gases

3 APCD Website

4 Air Quality Monitoring Network

5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards 109 CAA: to protect human health.. six air contaminants: Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) Lead (Pb) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) Particulate Matter (PM) Ozone (O 3 )

6 What makes Ozone (smog)? VOC + NOx Heat + Sunlight

7 NAAQS -- Ozone Unrounded Ozone Three-Year Averages of Annual Fourth Maximum Daily Maximum 8-Hour Averages Concentration, parts per million National standard of 0.08 parts per million To show trend, data was not rounded from three to two decimal places as required to determine compliance. Bennington Unrounded 3-Year Average of Annual 4th Maximum Underhill Unrounded 3-Year Average of Annual 4th Maximum World Health Organization Guideline Year

8 NAAQS PM2.5

9 NAAQS PM 2.5 Primary and Secondary Forms of PM2.5 Examples of Primary PM - Diesel soot - Boiler Fly Ash - Mechanical abrasion processes Examples of Secondary PM - Sulfur Dioxide (gas) Sulfate - Nitrogen Oxides (gas) Nitrate

10 PM Visibility/Haze:

14 NAAQS Particulate Matter (PM) Compliance Graph, PM2.5 Annual Standard Concentration, micrograms per actual cubic meter Last Year of Running Three-Year Averaging Period Data points are running three-year averages of annual average data. Compliance with the annual average standard is assessed relative to these running averages. As of 2005, the PM2.5 annual average standard is 15 micrograms per actual cubic meter. Barre Bennington Burlington Rutland

15 NAAQS Particulate Matter (PM) Compliance Graph, PM Hour Standard 65 Concentration, micrograms per actual cubic meter Last Year of Running Three-Year Averaging Period Data points are the running three year average of annual 98th percentile sample data. Compliance is assessed relative to these running averages. Barre Bennington Burlington Rutland Underhill

16 Air Toxics: Levels of certain Toxic Air Pollutants do exceed state standards and recognized risk levels.

17 12/10/02 10/06/03 02/13/02 Air Toxics: Benzene Concentrations in Vermont 1993 to /15/96 03/11/97 01/05/98 11/01/98 08/28/99 06/23/00 04/19/01 Date Brattleboro Burlington Rutland Underhill ug/m3 01/31/93 11/27/93 09/23/94 07/20/95

18 Climate Change:

19 Motor Vehicle Air Pollution and Fuel Consumption

20 Motor Vehicle Contribution to Air Pollution in Vermont Largest source of Carbon Monoxide (61%) More than 120,000 tons of Carbon Monoxide are emitted annually from motor vehicles in Vermont Motor Vehicles Resident. Combust.

21 Motor Vehicle Contribution to Air Pollution in Vermont Largest source of hydrocarbons (48%) More than 10,000 tons of hydrocarbons are emitted annually from motor vehicles in Vermont Motor Vehicles Area Sources Gasoline Distrib. Point Sources

22 Motor Vehicle Contribution to Air Pollution in Vermont Largest Source of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) (79%) More than 15,000 tons of NOx are emitted annually from motor vehicles in Vermont Motor Vehicles Resident. Combust. Area Sources Point Sources

23 Climate Change:

Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source Landfills 4% Livestock, manure, fertilizer 9% Residential Fossil Fuel Combustion 18% Biomass Combustion 10% Commercial Fossil

24 Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source Landfills 4% Livestock, manure, fertilizer 9% Residential Fossil Fuel Combustion 18% Biomass Combustion 10% Commercial Fossil Fuel Combustion 7% Electric Utility Fossil Fuel Combustion 0.8% Industrial Fossil Fuel Combustion 7% Photo courtesy of SEAWIFS Transportation Fossil Fuel Combustion 44%

25 Greenhouse Gases:

26 Greenhouse Gases:

27 Gasoline Consumption & VMTs Vermont 7,000,000, ,000, ,000,000, ,000, Vehicle Miles Traveled 5,000,000,000 4,000,000,000 3,000,000,000 2,000,000, ,000, ,000, ,000, ,000, Gasoline Consumed, Gallons VMT Gallons 1,000,000,000 50,000, Calendar Year

28 Improving Air Quality Therefore if the Public Policy of Vermont is to: Remain in Attainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards Reduce levels of Airborne Toxins Manage Greenhouse Gases Need a Four Part Strategy: Improved Air Quality = Clean Cars + Good Maintenance + Clean Fuels + Wise Use

29 John German American Honda Motor Co. NAMVECC, April 3, 2001 PZEV ATPZEV ZEV

30 Air Pollution Control In Vermont: Good Maintenance OBDII

31 Air Pollution Control In Vermont: Clean Fuels Unleaded Gasoline Oxygenated Gasoline Reformulated Gasoline/Low Sulfur Reformulated Diesel/Low Sulfur Alternative Fuels

32 Air Pollution Control In Vermont: Clean Fuels Alternative Fuels Natural Gas Propane Ethanol Bio Diesel Electricity Hydrogen Cleaner, but not Renewable Renewable, but not necessarily Cleaner May be Cleaner and may be Renewable

33 Air Pollution Control In Vermont: Thank you for this opportunity to talk with you about air quality in Vermont. Richard Valentinetti Vermont Agency of Natural Resources 103 South Main Street, Bldg. 3 South Waterbury, VT Tel: dick.valentinetti@state.vt.us

Criteria Pollutants. Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Criteria Pollutants. Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) 1) Sulfur dioxide 2) Nitrogen oxides 3) Carbon monoxide 4) Ozone 5) Particulates 6) Lead Criteria Pollutants Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) SO 2 is a colorless gas that is formed from the combustion of sulfur-containing